


Her New Love

by gabrielle015



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hospital, Drug Use, F/M, Humor, Jealousy, Lies, Love Triangles, Misunderstandings, Obsession, Passion, Sex, Violence, kouga being hot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-14
Updated: 2014-08-08
Packaged: 2018-01-24 16:46:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 109,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1612223
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gabrielle015/pseuds/gabrielle015
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Inuyasha broke her heart and now he's with Kikyo. They all work in a hospital together, and drama is certain to brew. Kagome doesn't want to date again for a long time after Inu's betrayal, but what happens when a certain bad boy with blue eyes shows up to the ER with injuries? Can she love again? Or will she push him away? -my first fanfic-</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. 20

**Author's Note:**

> This was a blast for me to write.

“You should go! Typically, I’m the anti-social one, and I’m going. You have no valid excuse.” Sango preached to her co-worker and good friend, Kagome. Said girl only rolled her eyes and sighed. “For the seven trillionth time, I am not going!” This argument had been going on for their entire lunch break. Actually, it had been going on for two weeks now, and Kagome never gave in, unfortunately Sango never gave up. However, Kagome was getting tired of using her breath to argue, her decision was not going to change. 

“But if you don’t go then…” before Sango could deliver the final part to that sentence, Kagome did. “She will think she won and you will look weak. Shit Sango, you’ve only recited that line more times than I’ve seen a hurting patient. Oh, and that’s everyday!” She had had her fill of lecturing from her best girlfriend. She loved her no doubt, but this was grating on her nerves. Then Sango finally said something that Kagome had been silently hoping for. She threw in the towel. A pregnant pause followed Kagome’s last statement, and Sango threw her napkin down on her tray and raised both hands to the air like she had been caught stealing. “You know what, fine! I’m done! You don’t want to go then don’t! You win Higurashi!” She let her hands fall back to her lap with a slap, gaining more attention from other employees that were also on their lunch break. Sango was as sick as arguing as Kagome was, but she was just hoping she could change her stubborn mind.

“Don’t look at me like that.” Kagome pleaded slowly. She didn’t want her best friend upset with her, which she already was. She was just beyond agitated these days. She hadn’t meant to curse at her, but agitation had a way of sending her happy mood down a public toilet. “Sango, you know why I can’t go, and I don’t care what Kikyo will think of me. I don’t care if I look weak, I don’t care if she’s still talking crap, I just don’t care anymore.” Kagome’s fire had died out, and now she just sounded broken. ‘That’s because you are broken’ she thought to herself. Lunch break time was winding down and the two needed to get back to their jobs. Sango politely grabbed Kagome’s trash and her own to throw away. After that, the two left the indoor SubWay in the hospital and walked down the long hallway to their destinations. The girls did this routine almost every day that they worked together, and Monday was subway day. They’d go eat, and walk back to their posts of duty. Normally, the entire trek would consist of chattering and giggling, but today neither one of them was feeling it.

They came to an end of the hallway where they would have to part ways. Before Kagome could reel around the corner to journey back towards the emergency room, Sango softly grabbed her arm. Kagome turned to see a sad looking friend gazing back at her. She looked like she was on the verge of tears. No words were spoken, but the two exchanged a tight hug before parting ways. Today, they would both get off work at 3:15 pm, and meet back at the same spot they were in. Sango let go and spoke in a low voice “Kags, I never mean to meddle, but you’re my best friend and I’ve seen how this entire situation had been eating away at you. I was only trying to help.” Kagome sniffled a tiny bit and fought back tears, not from what Sango said, but from just being reminded about ‘the situation’ that she had been trying so hard, too hard to overcome. “Oh girl, don’t apologize. You and Miroku go. Have a good time, tell me all about it, but I just can’t be there.” Sango forced a smile and nodded her head in dismissal. Kagome turned back to head down the hallways that would lead her to the emergency room, while Sango headed towards her small office. ‘Another life in the day of me’ Kagome thought. 

Emergency room drama on Mondays tended to be kept to a minimum. All the interesting stuff like the car accidents, drunken accidents, and that one guy who can’t stop throwing up for whatever reason didn’t really start until the weekend, and Higurashi was glad she didn’t always work weekends. Mondays were days that sick kids would come in, running high fevers. Kagome loved working with the children; it was just something she was good at. Sometimes she would work in the back where all the hectic activity took place, and sometimes she would work at the front desk, taking in the information of the patient and telling them to take a number and wait, which was also hectic. Some parents were just insane when it came to their children, and the fact that they had to take a number and wait like some seafood line made them angry. Fortunately, Kagome knew how to handle these kinds of parents. Calming words and a calming tone normally eased the problem.

As her shift ended, another girl came in to take her place at the desk. “Hey Ayame!” Kagome chimed. The red head smiled back and then assumed a military stance, back straight and hands straight at her sides. “I will now relieve this Higurashi from her post of duty, for my name is Ayame, and I too, am a desk worker.” She bowed and Kagome burst with laughter. “You never cease to amaze, and confuse, me honey.” Ayame’s high pitched voice and not so serious demeanor made everything she said and did funny. She chatted with the girl quickly and headed to the back to clock out. ‘Three fifteen on the dot’ she stated to herself. She grabbed her purse and checked her phone for any messages or notifications. ‘None, of course, nobody likes me’ she stated mater-of-factly. She headed back to the hallway where she and Sango would typically meet, but she was not there. All of a sudden she saw a charming, troublesome man walk down the hall with a crisp white coat on and a sly smirk. “Oh gosh, where is Sango and what have you done with her?” Kagome asked fearfully. 

“Why do you assume that I have done anything to her?” the man stated, pretending to be a little hurt. “Because you always do, Miroku!” Kagome laughed out. When Miroku got to her, he took her hand and shook it, as if they don’t hang out outside of work like best friends, with Sango in company of course. “We have an emergency meeting so she won’t be leaving till around 4 pm” he said professionally. With a sigh and an understanding nod, Kagome then said “I guess being a part of the best heart surgery team in Tokyo comes with demands” she said dreamily. “But if you guys have a meeting, why are you not in there?” She asked suspiciously. “I actually have to go retrieve some paperwork, thank you very much” Miroku bit out, but only in a joking manner. “And yes, it is beyond demanding, it’s like we live in this hospital, but anyway, are you going to the wedding?” He asked innocently. She damn near cringed when she heard the word ‘wedding’. “Uh.. no I’m not.” Quickly said, she hoped no more questions about her decision would come her way. She already got enough from Sango, Ayame kept complaining that she didn’t know what to wear. Other various co-workers were talking about what they heard was going to be at the wedding and reception, and it never failed to hit Kagome’s ears like a tuning fork. 

“Oh, well why not?” 

‘Damn’ “I just don’t want to.” She said childishly. She knew perfectly well why Miroku was asking.

He gave a nod and simply said “You can’t run from it forever babe, and going would probably give you some closure.” He saw the fire in her eyes blaze up from his statement, and before she could chew his head off, he dismissed himself. “Well, I really have to go get that paperwork now. See ya, Kago!” He quickly went off leaving a fuming ‘Kago’ still standing where she was. She wanted to scream. Why did everyone think they knew what she needed to do to feel better? ‘They don’t know me, and they don’t know my life’ she thought stubbornly. 

‘Oh, but they do.’ Her conscious delivered.

‘Shut up! I don’t want to talk to you right now’ she bit back. Sometimes, your worst enemy can be yourself. 

Making it out to the parking garage, she slipped in her black Camry, and immediately turned on the radio. Commercials were on, and she drove out to the interstate. It was tempting for her to think about her life’s problems white driving. Music and a smooth ride made her contemplate her day, which is not the best thing to do while driving. ‘Don’t think, just drive’ she chanted. She was actually doing a good job until a song came on that reminded her of…him. Adele’s voice floated through her car, and that did not help her focus.

“I heard, that you’re settled down, that you found a girl and you’re married now…”

*click* “Well, I guess I’m not listening to music today.” She stated boldly. “Someone Like You” was not going to help her mood at all. Actually, it had already sunk at the first line. ‘Settled down, found a girl, and married.’ The words drifted through her head like neon signs on a dark night. ‘I will not cry, I will not, I won’t’ she thought. She didn’t know what was worse, the song or the silence. The song sang the truth and the silence screamed it as well. While Adele kept reminding Kagome that she was lonely and heartbroken, so did the chilling silence in her car. When she pulled up to her nice apartment complex, she veered the car to a halt and zipped out up to her apartment. She needed to break down, and she wasn’t going to do it where anybody could possibly see her. Opening the door to her shoebox home, she ran to her room. Dropping her purse, she collapsed on her bed face down, and cried into the pillow. 

“What did I ever do to deserve this?” she sobbed out. She hated crying because it made her feel helpless. She also did not have anyone to come over and wipe her tears. ‘Not anymore’ she thought. That perk had left with the jerk that also took her happiness. ‘Damn him!” she bit out. It was only Monday and she was dealing with this ‘situation’ poorly. Soon before long, she stopped the tears, and went to take a shower. The hot water helped her think things out. Afterwards, she went and changed into some sweat pants and a tank top to lounge around in. Hopping into the kitchen, she ate the pasta that Sango had brought over yesterday. She grabbed a bottle of water and plopped down on the couch, hoping the TV would clear her mind. 

TV talking: “Tonight, “My Tattered Heart” will be playing. Sara Idle is young and in love, but what happens when she finds out the so called man of her dreams is cheating on her. Will she ever love again? Can a certain someone pick up the pieces of her tattered heart? Will she ever forgive? All tonight, on Lifetime”

*flick* Kagome kept surfing channels. ‘Damn Lifetime and their dramatic ass love stories’ she thought bitterly. Not even television could calm her bothered mind, and soon she just stopped surfing channels and hit the off button. She tidied up her apartment a little bit and went to her room to continue reading this mystery novel she had recently bought. So far, it was pretty good. The main character is a heroine who is trying to save the hero. It sounded corny to her, but it became a best seller. So Kagome gave it a shot, and she was glad she did. Lying on her stomach on her bed, she flipped page after page. Reading always provided a means of escape to her. She would become trapped in someone else’s world and reading helped her escape her own. 

When she looked at her phone, it was going on 10 pm. “Time to hit the sheets, I guess.” She marked her spot and closed the book. Climbing under the covers, she prayed to any god that might be listening that she would fall asleep quickly. Silence and darkness were not her allies, and she felt more vulnerable than ever before with them. She’d end up staring up at the darkness above her eyes, and thinking herself to sleep. ‘Inuyasha and Kikyo are getting married in three weeks, and everyone thinks I need to go.’ Miroku’s words echoed in her mind, “you can’t run from it forever babe, and going would probably give you some closure.”

‘Would it really’ she continued to contemplate.

‘The only way to find out is to go’ her conscious rang back.

‘Ugh, but I can’t’ she responded.

‘The only thing stopping you is you girlfriend’

She gave a heavy sigh and turned to lie on her side. She knew this all too well. How could she watch the man she loves, NO, loved marry the woman she hates, NO, dislikes. It was all too confusing. For another night, she had to think herself to sleep, and the only thing she could think about was Inuyasha. She had been working in the hospital for two years now, and Inuyasha was the one in charge of keeping the emergency room running smoothly. She had started the same day that Kikyo started. When Inuyasha was talking to the newbies, his eyes kept drifting back and forth between her and Kikyo. 

-Flashback-

“Are you ladies sisters?” He asked with curiosity. This gained looks from the other newbies, who also began to wonder if the two were related. Kagome turned her head to look at Kikyo and then gave a small laugh. “No, we’re not sisters, but I do see why you guys would ask” she said cheerfully. Kikyo and she had some facial similarities, but other than that Kagome couldn’t see any major similarities. “We look nothing alike” Kikyo stated coldly. Some people in the meeting room turned back around to look at Inuyasha, and some people snickered at her response.

‘Okayyyy’ Kagome thought. ‘Definitely no similarity in personality, she seems sassy.’

Inuyasha continued on with the meeting, his eyes occasionally meeting Kagome’s. She couldn’t help but think he was handsome. His long black hair put hers to shame in terms of length, and his dark eyes were certainly captivating. When the teams work day started, they started with the small things. Making sure every room had proper items there for any emergency. Inuyasha would walk around occasionally, evaluating the newbies. When he saw Kagome putting some cotton balls in a room, he stopped and gave her a sexy smirk. She couldn’t help but blush. Little did she know, he was doing the same thing to Kikyo, who was winking back at his advances. 

Weeks passed and soon before long, the newbies didn’t need any more evaluation. They learned that Edo hospital was considered to be the finest in Tokyo, which always meant a busy emergency room. Kagome handled every situation with care and precision. She never felt queasy at the sight of blood, which proved effective for her work flow. The drama in the emergency room could never compare to the one going on behind closed doors. 

She was getting ready to clock out one day, when she heard her name called.

“Higurashi” it was Inuyasha.

“Yes Mr. Taisho?” she responded respectfully.

“May I see you in my office?” he said so in a way that wasn’t exactly a question, more like he was ordering it.

“Yes sir” she said.

She proceeded to follow his quickly paced footsteps back to his office. ‘Did I do something wrong?’ she asked herself. When they arrived he ushered her in to take a seat. Closing the door behind him, he got straight to the point. “Okay Higurashi, I must say that I am impressed with your work in the ER, and I’m thinking of promoting you.”

Her heart leapt for joy. A promotion so early, wow!

“Mr. Taisho, I would be honored to accept this promotion.” She said happily with a glimmer to her brown eyes.

“Please, when we’re alone, you can just call me Inuyasha.” He said with a slight rasp to his voice that made her heart pound harder.

“Well then, Inuyasha, I accept.” 

“Wonderful. That’s not all I wanted to say though.”

Kagome nodded quickly so he could proceed to his next statement.

“What are you doing Friday night?”

Her mouth went dry; he couldn’t possibly be asking her on a date? Could he? Was he? Is he allowed to do that? I guess when your older brother is CEO of the most prestigious hospital in all of Tokyo; you could get away with that kind of stuff.

“I currently have nothing on my schedule.” She said quietly.

“Well, allow me to be the one to fill it then. He reached over his desk and handed her his cell phone. It was already on contacts, so she knew to put her number in there. Her pulse was quickening; should she be doing this with her boss?

“I was thinking about just going out to eat, I’ll pick you up.”

“Oh well, let me write down my address then.”

“I already have it.” He responded quickly. “I am your boss, ya know?” He had a smile that made her stomach brew butterflies. 

After exchanging a few more words, Kagome stepped out of his office with pep in her step. ‘I got myself a date’ she said. A slight blush rose to her cheeks. ‘Oh my goodness, what am I going to wear?’ she inwardly panicked. As she was rounding a corner, she almost bumped into Ayame. 

“Oh, I’m sorry. Excuse me.” Kagome stated quickly. The two girls had hit it off immediately during their training and evaluation. 

“Oh hey Kags, it’s alright. I’m just on my way to clock out.” The girls picked up a conversation, and then a certain Kikyo walked around the corner. Kagome had come to the conclusion that she did not like her, for whatever reason. Her eyes always looked cold.

“Hey Kikyo, where you headed?” Ayame asked.

“Inuya- I mean Mr. Taisho’s office.” She corrected herself quickly and went about her way.

Kagome paid no mind to the slight slip up, and left work thinking about her date. When she got to her new apartment, she immediately went to her closet to find something to wear Friday night. Sure she had three days until then, but she wanted to make sure she had something now. It was the summer time, so something loose would suit her. She could not believe she was going to go on a date with her boss. Her extremely handsome boss. His body was well built, not that she was scoping or anything, and his voice was hot. ‘Look at me, I’m acting like I was back in high school over Hojo’ she thought. That fling had started in junior high and ended in high school.

“This Friday is going to be good.” She declared aloud, trying to kill any ounce of doubt she had about the situation.

And she was right. That Friday was good, and so was the next one, then the following one, and then the following Saturday. Dates became a regular thing for the two. They’d either go out to eat, or go see a movie, or even walk around the mall and engage in conversation. She felt completely comfortable with him, and eventually she felt comfortable with falling for him. He first kissed her on their third date. They were coming back from the coffee shop across from the movie theatre, and he was walking her to her car. Laughing about something, she opened the door, and before she could get in, he grabbed her arm and spun her around for a soft kiss. When he pulled back, he held a smug look on his face, and she knew that she must have looked like a tomato, as much as she was blushing. Instead of ending it there, she leaned back in and kissed him harder. Where this newfound confidence came from, she had no clue, but she was enjoying the feeling of him on her, his hand on her waist while the other held his coffee. That night at home, she turned her TV to a music channel and just danced around her apartment. Life was good. Good job, good place, good car, and she was falling for a good guy.

They continued on with their dating until one day Sango asked her during their lunch break, “Why are you guys not in a relationship?” Kagome just smiled back across the table sweetly and sipped her iced tea. “Maybe he’s not ready, or he’s too nervous to ask!” She said it like she discovered something new. Sango looked at her skeptically. Kagome was not actually sure why she and Sango became friends so quickly. They had the same lunch break every day that they worked and just hit it off. “It sounds fishy.” Sango stated. Kagome laughed and rolled her eyes. “Always have to bring down the cloud nine, don’t you Sango?” Sango just responded with a laugh and turned the conversation to something else. 

Four months had passed since Kagome and Inuyasha started going on dates, and he still hadn’t made a move towards a relationship. Kagome knew one thing for sure, she loved him. Maybe she was crazy for doing so, but she felt so confident. Sango chided her for it, saying that it was too soon to fall for him. Truthfully, Sango had heard some things about Inuyasha Taisho on her side of the hospital, from none other than his best friend Miroku. Apparently, Inuyasha got around. Sango couldn’t relay this information to Kagome though; she never wanted to ruin that happiness. 

One more month went by and Kagome’s overconfidence lead her to make the decision of asking him out first. “That is a horrible idea!” Sango yelled. They were at their favorite sushi place for a girl’s night out, and Kagome had told her friend her decision. “We text like a couple, go out like a couple. We might as well make it official.” She said optimistically. Sango continued to lecture her on how bad of an idea that was, and it was not going to end well. Nothing could stop the Higurashi fire once it was fueled. It was only eight that Wednesday night, and Kagome knew Inuyasha stayed late on Wednesdays to do paperwork. So, she decided she was going to the hospital to ask that night.

“Do what you do girl. I can’t stop you.” Sango stated.

“You sure can’t! Love you hun, bye!” Kagome hugged her friend before leaving the restaurant. 

He didn’t know she was coming, and she loved the fact that she was going to surprise him. Pulling up to Edo, she parked in a space outside of the ER. She was surprised she could find one so close. Walking into the ER, she recognized one of her co-workers sitting behind the desk.

“Good evening, Kagura!” Kagome chirped.

Kagura didn’t speak, only inclined her head in recognition and continued examining her perfect nails. Kagome walked in the back, nodding to a few workers she recognized on the way to Inuyasha’s office. She was a little nervous, but beyond excited. Not only was she going to ask him out, she was going to finally tell him that she loved him. When she arrived outside his office, she heard noises coming from the inside. She stopped and leaned an ear to the door, and what she heard doused her fire, killed her confidence, and shattered her smile.

“Mmmmm, Kikyo, don’t stop what you’re doing.” She heard a raspy voice groan. Inuyasha’s to be exact.

She couldn’t hear any sounds from Kikyo, but soon before long she heard some movement and then Kikyo asked seductively “will you take me on your desk?” “Oh, yes ma’am.” was the response. Following those words were moans from Kikyo and curses from Inuyasha. Kagome’s feet were glued to the ground, her knees locked, and her breathing became shallow and shaky. 

She knew she was about to regret what she was going to do, but she needed to catch him in the act. She grabbed the handle and flung open the door. There Inuyasha was, standing between Kikyo’s legs, his pants down to his ankles and her scrub pants off, sitting on an edge of his desk. Both snapped their heads to the doorway, to find an incredulous looking Kagome standing in its arch. 

“This is why you can never hang out on Wednesdays?” she sobbed out. She was on the brink of waterworks, but she refused to cry in front of them. Inuyasha immediately began to pull up his pants, but Kagome had no strength to continue standing, nor did she have the heart to listen to whatever bullshit that was going to pour out of his mouth. She immediately ran from the room, out the back, through the ER and to her car. She got in and grabbed the steering wheel with hands and began to cry uncontrollably. Did that really just happen? Did her eyes show her the truth? She understood why he never pursued a relationship, and why he never spoke to her at all during work, but spoke to other employees. She understood why Wednesdays were never good days to go out. She understood why sometimes he wouldn’t text back. She understood why Kikyo would always look at her with a threatening gaze. She understood why Sango warned her. She understood why he was always asking her about sex, but never pushing her into it. She understood why love was considered to be so damn cruel, because it left you blinded. She peeled out of the parking lot to go home. She needed to text Sango and cry like a baby.

-End of Flashback-

Kagome went through the typical break up phase. The tears, the I don’t cares, the excess eating, and the sour moods. She when through it all. Maybe it would have been easier to get over the betrayal if she didn’t have to WORK WITH THESE PEOPLE! These were the thoughts that drifted through her mind all too often when she would try to sleep. Apparently, whatever gods she was asking for help weren’t granting her any, because she ended up crying again. 

Now they’re getting married in three weeks, and the assholes had the nerve to send her an invitation. She found that beyond disrespectful, that was just evil. So now, Sango and her boyfriend Miroku were trying to convince her to go, for her image and pride, and it was the talk in break room. Inuyasha had not tried to speak to her after that hellish Wednesday, but if he came through the ER room at work, he would glance at her as if he had something to say, but he never said a thing. Kikyo would brag to the other employees how lucky she felt, and how excited she is. She never spoke a work to Kagome after that night either, and she was glad. She didn’t know if she could hold off on slapping her senseless if she did.

‘Closure’ she thought. Seeing him marry her was not going to provide closure. It was going to reopen the wound that she tried so desperately to keep closed. Tears found their way out of her ducts from time to time and would spill when she thought of their kisses, and how she had fallen for him. Then it would drift to him and Kikyo humping each other and she would get angry. It had been a little over a year since that fateful night, and while Kagome wasn’t torn up inside anymore, it still pained her to hear everyone talk about it.

Sleep was finally taking her over as she thought some last thoughts. Sango had suggested she should find a date to escort her to the wedding. Kagome simply replied with a ‘hell no’ and ‘forget that’. She was not dating anyone else for a long time; that had been her final decision after Inuyasha. Her lids eased closed, and her body relaxed while she breathed out her answer to it all.

“I am not going to the goddamn wedding.”

And then sleep relieved her.


	2. 2

Crying babies, whining adults, vomit, and blood. Those are the words that describe a Saturday night in the Edo Hospital emergency room. The craziness of the weekdays combined with the craziness of the weekends results in chaos. Unfortunately, this just so happened to be one of the Saturday nights Kagome Higurashi had to work. It wasn’t that she couldn’t handle the chaos; there was just so much of it to handle. Another unfortunate factor was that Kikyo also had to work that night. 

‘Just my damn luck’ Kagome thought to herself. She knew she was probably going to be at work until the wee hours of the morning, and she had to look at the future Mrs. Taisho all night too. Not a satisfactory combination. Luckily she also had other co-workers she liked working that night too, so the night shift wouldn’t be unbearable. 

About 11 pm, a five month old baby was rushed into the ER with breathing problems. ‘Oh, no!’ Kagome inwardly stated. She always had that soft spot for children, so watching them hurt and suffer made her emotional. But there was no time to mope around; she had a life she needed to help save. An ER team moved the infant to a room in the back where immediate help would be given. This wasn’t one of those ‘take a number and wait’ situations. They needed to act, and fast. Kagome did everything right. She followed instructions and performed the proper treatment for respiratory issues in children, and it wasn’t long before the baby was able to breathe again. Of course someone on staff would have to stay in the room at all times to ensure the child would be alright. Kagome explained to the parents what happened and found that they were extremely relieved. 

“Babies have weaker intercostal muscles, so this situation is not uncommon at all. But the issue has been assessed and if all goes well, you should be able to leave in the morning.” Kagome stated cheerfully. The parents looked immensely grateful for her thorough explanation and comforting words. As the parents were shown to the room where there child was, Kagome exhaled a breath of relief. Some people just couldn’t handle this kind of pressure-heavy environment, but she was glad she could. The smile on a patient’s face after they’ve been taken care of made up for all the stress gone through to save them. ‘It’s always worth it’ she thought with a smile.

The infant case took a lot of energy out of the current staff, but the night was far from over. It was getting close to midnight. So that meant the drunkards and car accident victims would be in shortly. 

“Dear gods, please help me to make it through this night.” Kagura drawled.

Kagome heard the co-workers plea and gave her a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder. Kagura had been working the desk. Therefore she was dealing with the upset parents and taking information. “If I have to hear one more person cry that their chest hurts, I’m going to scream like a banshee.” she shouted.

“Oh Kagura…deal with it.” Kagome deadpanned. There were no words of comfort to offer because quite frankly, that’s what working in the ER was all about. Either you cope or you quit. 

One of the co-workers Mark walked into the break room where only a small portion of staff members were. Everyone else was still working, and they would need their break soon. “Okay you guys, the official hell starts in 3…2…1!” Just as Mark finished that statement, one of the other staff members came running in the room frantically. “We just got a motorcycle accident victim in; we need extra help out here.” The frantic staff member ran back out, and with a groan, Kagome stood up and made her way out of the room. She knew that major cases like these she would have to work with Kikyo, and that didn’t help her headache that had been coming on for hours now. 

Kagome sanitized and made her way to a room full of staff members and she immediately saw blood. The sight made her eyes widen. 

This victim had a deep gash across his chest, probably where he hit the ground. There were scrapes on his hands and arms, probably because they were not protected with a proper biker jacket or gloves. The face seemed to be intact, probably because a helmet was worn. The biker overall was unconscious, and Kagome knew she needed to stop gawking and start working. Gawking at what you say? The fine specimen of male species lying before her, that’s what. Whoever this guy was, he sure was good looking. He had a nice tanned complexion, and his body was definitely chiseled in all the right places. Not only that, but he had long raven colored hair that made her a little bit envious. 

“Higurashi! Don’t just stand there and take up space, help!” Kikyo demanded.

Kagome followed the instructions of her superior and began cleaning up wounds. The only reason Kikyo was in charge was because Inuyasha promoted her to be so. So whatever smart remark Kagome had, she forced to stay in her mouth while she assessed the patient. Other members had to leave the room soon to help on a car accident case. A lady was hit by a drunk driver, and the chances of survival were looking slim. Paramedics can only do so much in a moving vehicle with limited supplies, so the ER staff would have to pull together and do their absolute best to save her. 

Kagome was left to tend to the biker guy with Mark. Mark was handling some paperwork on the patient and began to read aloud.

“Okay, it says here we have a twenty-five year old Kouga Convel. Male. Was rushed in at 12:45 am with wounds from a motorcycle accident. According to his friends waiting in the ER, they were having a contest to see whose bike was the fastest. While driving on, what they thought was empty, road; they were heading towards an intersection where a car was pulling through. In order to avoid T-boning the vehicle, Kouga veered out of the way, losing control of his bike and hitting the ground hard. The victim had on a pair of jeans and a thin t-shirt, which was probably why he received such a deep wound across the chest.”

Mark finished reading the report and Kagome shook her head and rolled her eyes. The ignorance of some people never ceased to amaze her. The gash across his chest was going to need stitches and one on his left arm as well. There was going to be a doctor in shortly to begin the process. All the other scrapes were cleaned and covered with proper bindings to stop the bleeding. She knew she was going to have to remain in the room until a doctor arrived. Mark left to see if any more help was needed up front, leaving the raven haired two alone in the room.

He probably wasn’t going to wake up for a while. His vitals were steady, so he would get the stitches and probably leave that afternoon if the doctor allowed it. Kagome’s mind kept fluttering back to the car accident victim. She really hoped that they could save the woman, but fate cannot be stopped. In her two years of working the ER, Kagome only witnessed one death. A man had been driving and wrapped his car around a pole. The condition of his body was too damaged, and they knew there was nothing they could do to save him then. His wife and young daughter had come in the ER that night with tears already in their eyes. Kagome was in no position to explain to the pair that their husband and father was not going to survive, so someone else had to do it. She couldn’t stand to watch their tears fall, and before she knew it, water was trickling down her cheeks as well. That was the down side to working in the emergency room. Sometimes, you can’t save everyone. But Kagome put her heart into everyone she helped, because she never wanted to see that heartbreak again. 

In midst of her thinking, a short white haired doctor traipsed in the room. Kagome immediately stood up straight and nodded. “Dr. Myoga, nice to see you again.”

Said doctor bowed slightly and began the procedure to patch the victim up. While he was doing so, Kagome left the room to see if any more help was needed out front. There definitely was help needed. With over half the staff trying to help that car accident case, there were sick people up front that needed help. The night moved on, with Kagome helping one person after another. Winter was approaching soon, so the flu symptoms were showing up frequently. 

It was 3 in the morning, and the ER was slowing down. Less people were showing up, so the hectic environment eased to a calm one. Kagome decided to go make rounds and check on patients in the rooms in the back. She made sure everyone had what they needed and were comfortable. In the process of doing so, she ran into a co-worker named Amanda. Amanda was looking defeated, and Kagome automatically knew what that meant.

“You couldn’t save her?” Kagome whispered. She already knew the answer.

“She was too far gone, we tried everything, but the body just wouldn't accept.” Amanda bit back a sob as she answered. “This is the part of medicine that I hate.”

Kagome hugged her tight and reminded her that this was their job, and that they win some and they lose some. She knew that someone was going to have to explain to any family members that their loved one was gone, and she knew it was going to have to be Amanda, since she was the one in charge of the case. That’s a fate she wouldn’t wish on her worst enemy. This would be Kikyo of course. 

As Kagome continued to make her rounds, she finally ended up back at the biker victim’s room. As she approached, she saw two guys standing in the room talking and laughing. ‘He must be awake’ she thought.

“Good morning gentlemen.” Kagome said in a monotone voice. She was too tired and discouraged about the car accident case to fake a cheerful voice any longer. 

“Well good morning.” The victim replied in a flirty manner. He flashed her a smile and Kagome’s heart sped up. ‘Oh, he’s much cuter when he’s awake.’ 

“Well, don’t mind me, I’m just in here to tidy up and take a look at your charts.”

The three males resumed conversation. She observed them. Apparently his friend with the white Mohawk is named Hakkaku, and his other friend with the silver colored hair is Ginta. They were also some rough looking guys, and apparently these were the friends he was racing against when he got in the accident.

“I’m just glad you’re okay man, we flipped out completely.” Ginta said.

Hakkaku seconded that statement and Kouga just get out a scoff and said “I’m fine you guys, that was nothing. I really don’t even feel any pain.”

“That’s because of the medicine you’re on; it numbs the pain.”

“I’d be just fine without it” he retorted cockily. 

Kagome sighed and continued studying the chart. Of course he would not be just fine without it. He just had his chest sewn together, but she let it slide. He was obviously trying to play tough so his male pride wouldn’t be damaged. His friends gave words of parting and said they would be back later to pick him up when allowed to. After the two left the room, Kagome went on to explain to Kouga how he would be transferred to another room to recover.

“What if I don’t feel like moving?” he asked

“You don’t have a choice. This is an emergency room, strictly for emergencies. You’re recovering, so you’re no longer an emergency” she stated matter-of-factly. 

“Well then, what happens if my chest splits back open? Will I be an emergency then?” His tone of voice did not sit well with her. It sounded like he was patronizing her.

“I don’t know, you might not last long enough to come back to the ER” she retorted. Why was he being a smart ass? You’d expect someone to be more grateful when they’re being helped. 

A sigh and a pause followed her statement. ‘He must have run out of smart remarks’ she thought.

“Are you the one that stitched me up?”

“No, that would be Dr. Myoga” she replied.

No response from the patient led her to look up from the chart and observe him. He had leaned back in the bed and was staring off to his side, as if he was thinking about something. She took this time to study him more. He had icy blue eyes that looked too good with his black hair and tan skin. The hospital robe he had on covered his chest, but left his arms exposed. Each scrape was covered, and the gash on his left arm had been stitched and covered as well. She noticed he had tattoos on both arms; one on his right bicep, and a band around his left.

“What’s the meaning behind your ink?” she asked in all curiosity. 

He looked at her and then turned his head to his left arm and slightly raised it. “This is a tribal tattoo. It’s a wolf band. It shows three wolves above a full moon. It symbolizes the bond between a pack and the moon.” He raised his right arm and looked to the other tattoo “And this is another tribal tat. It symbolizes an alpha wolf, summoning his pack.”

The black inked tattoos were quite nice and still fresh looking. “When did you get them done?” 

“Eh, I say about four months ago. My friends that just left here have the same bands around their left arm, but I’m the only one with the alpha tattoo.”

Kagome smirked at his comment, because he said it with an air of authority in his low, raspy voice. “Do you have any others?” she asked, hoping she didn't sound too nosy. 

“I have a large one on my back, but I can’t show you that one now can I?” he said smartly. 

“You could, but you’re letting the pain get the better of you. And that’s odd, considering the fact that you barely feel any” she stated. She wanted to take a jab at him for his earlier retort about the pain medicine.

A low chuckle and a ‘hmph’ later, he replied “I still don’t need it either.”

Kagome giggled at his strength. She knew his skin must have felt raw and sore, yet he continued the tough guy charade. Looking at her watch she realized that she spent more time in his room than anyone else when she was making her rounds.

“I didn’t stitch you up, but I did clean and wrap your flesh wounds.” She didn’t know why she felt the need to make that statement, but she just did. 

“Thanks sexy, it’s appreciated.” He flashed a toothy smile and her heart beat sped up again.

“Ah ah ah, no flirting with staff.” She waggled a finger and proceeded to get up and leave.

“Yes Miss…” he paused to look at her badge “Kagome Higurashi.” He continued to smile and she smiled a full one back. Something about him seemed genuine, and he certainly didn’t hold back on what he was thinking.

Before she walked out, she slightly turned around and said over her shoulder “Next time you want to street race, wear the appropriate clothing.” And before she could get out of the door she heard and hearty laugh and he said “But then I wouldn’t have gotten to meet youuuuuu.” He whined in a pretending sense, and she laughed again and closed the door. 

‘No flirting with patients girl!’ she reminded herself. It was going on 4 am and she was finally able to clock out.

She grabbed her purse and proceeded to punch in the time on the time clock when she heard her name called.

“Higurashi!”

She turned around to see Kikyo walking towards her. ‘What a perfect way to slay my somewhat good mood’ she thought.   
“Yes?” she answered

“I’m meeting up with my wedding planner today so you’re going to cover my 1pm to 7pm shift today.”

Kagome’s mouth dropped open and a disbelieving look appeared on her face. 

“I’ve been here all night, and I won’t have any time to sleep.” She knew she sounded like she was complaining, and that’s because…well…SHE WAS. She had just worked a wild seven hour night shift with one measly little break, and now she had to come back in a few hours to handle the Sunday afternoon crew. Needless to say, she was not happy.

Kikyo sighed and turned back around to walk away. “It will be on your payroll, and then you can take Monday off if you want to whine about it.” She stated so in a manner that made Kagome feel like a child.

“No, I’ll be here Monday too!” she shouted back. Kikyo stopped in mid-stride and gracefully turned around. “I’m not entirely too sure who you’re raising your voice at, but considering it’s just you and I in this hallway then it must be me. From now on, you will make better note to respect me Higurashi, after all, I do have the power to…relieve you from your position.”

This was why she hated, NO, disliked Kikyo. She was always power tripping. The ONLY reason she was in the position she was in was because she was dating Inuyasha, and he promoted her. Kagome wasn’t the only one that thought that was unfair, but no one worked up the guts to say anything about it for the sake of their jobs. Inuyasha wasn’t that nice to anyone else except Kikyo and Miroku, so no one tried to cross him. 

Kagome only nodded in understanding and Kikyo turned to walk away. ‘Bitch always feels the need to assert herself’ she thought. She wasn’t even shocked that she just threatened to fire her; she was more displeased with the fact that she thinks she’s better than everyone else. 

‘If she wasn’t fucking him, she wouldn’t be in the position she’s in.’

‘He was willing to promote you once.’ Her conscious rang back.

‘I never fucked him, which is probably why I never got promoted.’ She said back bitterly. She needed to stop arguing with herself like this, it couldn’t be healthy.

When she arrived at her apartment, she changed out of her scrubs instead of sleeping in them. She didn’t want to have to iron again, so she threw on a robe and climbed under her covers. As soon as she closed her eyes, her phone vibrated on her nightstand next to her bed. She rolled over to see what it was, and it was a text from Ayame.

‘Hey Kags, my father is really sick and I’m staying home to take care of him. I was wondering if you could work my 7 pm to 2 am shift tonight. I’d love you forever. –Ayame’

Upon reading this, Kagome growled in frustration and replied

‘Yes, but you owe me for this one. –Kagome’

Only a few seconds after she sent that, Ayame replied.

‘Thank youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu. –Ayame’

Kagome didn’t even have the energy to text back a ‘you’re welcome.’ She set her phone back down on the nightstand and rolled back over to sleep. Her lingering thoughts were of that patient Kouga. He seemed like a pretty cool guy, cocky, but cool. The smiles he kept shooting her made her heart increase in speed, and his face while explaining his tattoos was of utter seriousness. 

‘He was definitely handsome’ she thought. Then she slipped into a state of sleep, so she could be rested for her 13 hour shift that day.


	3. Chapter 3

“What the hell do you mean, four!?” 

A voice was heard on the other end of the hospital telephone, and then another shout from the biker victim rang once more.

“You guys have some fucking nerve! It’s supposed to be bros before ho…you know what, fuck it. You better be here at four on the dot or I’ll make you wish you would have never gone to that bitch’s house.” *slam* went the telephone, and a minute of mumbles followed the heated conversation.

Kouga was ready to go; being in this damn hospital room was annoying beyond belief. It was 1pm and he had already been given the proper instructions about the stitches and pain medicine, and had been permitted to leave. The boys said they would come get him whenever he was ready, and now that he was ready, what was the excuse? Girls. Girls were the excuse. Some chick called Hakkaku up talking about her and her sister were feeling…well, yea…and asked them to come help them out. Hakkaku had the nerve to tell him that ‘these chicks were hot, so we’ll go take care of that and come get you at four.’ 

So, another three hours of the annoying sterile smell of a hospital room, in that uncomfortable ass robe (that doesn’t cover much), and boring television. Dear gods, daytime television was boring! It was a Sunday afternoon, so what would he be up to at this time? He would be back at the garage to help out Eddie fix some bikes and teach the younger boys about fixing bikes as well.

‘Which reminds me, I need to locate my bike so I can repair the damage, if there’s still anything to repair’ he thought.

He leaned his head back on the inclined bed and closed his eyes. He never even got to see what condition his bike was in because he had been knocked unconscious by the fall. Last night was no different than any other Saturday night. He and the boys would spend all their time tweaking their motorcycles and would race. Kouga never lost, nor had he ever gotten hurt. He also thought about how he needed to be at the bar by 7pm to work, and then he got extra annoyed. His boss might let him take the night off, considering his injuries and everything, but he was going to need as much money as he could get to fix his bike, or possibly buy a new one. This meant he had no form of transportation, so he would have to take the bus now. Ginta had his cell phone, so he had no games to play. He was getting pissed off, really fast.

“Why me?” he asked aloud.

888

“Why me?” Kagome whined when she arrived back to work. Sunday’s didn’t tend to be too bad. It was mainly the people coming in after Sunday dinners with heartburn, so that’s what she would be dealing with. Her whining came from her sleepless night, or morning to be exact, and she was running on low energy. She hadn’t slept well, and she woke up at 10 am, so needless to say, she was about to have a hard time. 

She also wasn’t used to working on Sundays, but the crew she was with was decent, so no complaints about that on her part. But even the sleep deprivation wasn’t the top issue on her list. She was having a premonition. ‘Something is going to happen today, I can’t tell if it’s good or bad.’ Not knowing always put her in a sour mood, but she knew something was going to happen today. Kagome had always been able to sense an occurrence before it happened. She never knew what it was, but she knew that it was coming. 

“Whatever” she breathed. She didn’t have time or patience to keep pressing the matter.

Thank any god that might be present, the work day was moving quickly. The next time she looked at a clock, it was going on 3 pm. Kikyo better be with her damn wedding planner like she said. Working this double shift today was going to end her. Kagome seriously rethought her statement earlier about her still coming in to work tomorrow.

‘No, I’m going to take Monday off’ she decided.

Right after she came to that conclusion, her stomach rumbled. ‘Oh yea, when was the last time I ate?’ She couldn’t remember, so that was a clear indication that she needed to. It was around 3:30 before she could take a break, and she chose to go to the Wendy’s inside the hospital. Walking there, she let her mind wander once more. 

‘Am I happy in life?’

She felt like an ungrateful idiot for asking herself that question. Just because she didn’t have a boyfriend didn’t mean that her life was shit. It was just lacking something. Sango had Miroku, so their usual girl nights would turn into girls and Miroku nights. She hardly went home anymore, she probably should do that. Her mother and little brother Souta would be happy to see her. Grandfather died her senior year of high school, and the house always seemed a little empty without him, so a visit would suit everyone well. She had her own place and car; independent was the word to describe her. She would notice the stares she would get from guys when she went places, and she ignored them. After…him, she didn’t feel a desire to date, but she felt a desire to be loved and to love. 

‘I’m too complicated’ she told herself.

When she arrived at the Wendy’s, she saw a sight that snapped her out of her thoughts and pulled her out of her somber mood. The biker accident victim was at the front counter ordering food, in the hospital robe, boxers, and socks. His hair was pulled up in a messy ponytail, and she didn’t even try to repress the giggles that tore from her chest. 

When he heard giggling that sounded familiar, he finished placing his order and turned around to see the nurse; Kagome was her name, laughing at him. He knew what the hell she was laughing at, but just for entertainment…

“What the hell are you laughing at?” he asked with a smirk. 

She snorted and then laughed some more at the fact that she snorted, and a slight blush rose to her cheeks. This made Kouga laugh, and soon before long, the other few people sitting in Wendy’s were laughing too. 

“I thought you would have been gone by now” she stated.

“Yea well, I have shitty friends” he retorted.

Kagome walked up to him and just smiled, she didn’t know what she was doing, but her legs took the lead instead of her brain. 

“You shouldn’t be down here in this attire” she said in a professional manner.

“Well, you should know, I don’t have any clothes with me. I didn’t feel like asking wear my jeans were, and I got hungry.”

“If you were hungry, you would have asked the nurse to bring you some food.”

He let out a loud ‘ha’ and said “There’s no way you guys are adding that to my bill. It’s going to cost me an arm to pay for the treatment and medicine alone.” Upon saying this, his facial expression dropped to something serious, and he realized that he had yet another thing to pay for. 

Kagome noticed this sudden change in expression, and turned the conversation elsewhere. “Well, I’m glad you got your wallet back, if not your pants.”

“I’m glad too, or I’d be starving right about now.”

Kagome placed her order to the returning cashier, and Kouga received his food.

For some reason, he waited for her. He wasn’t sure why, he just did. She seemed to realize this, and she was at a loss for words. ‘Why is he waiting for me?’ 

“Why do you work here” he asked suddenly.

Her confused face made him realize that statement came out harsher than he intended it to, and he quickly explained.

“I mean, how can you stand this constant sterile smell? It’s grating on my nerves.”

“Oh” she laughed “I guess I’m just used to it by now, but it never bothered me much in the first place.”

He nodded and asked “How long have you been working here?”

“Nearly two years.”

He nodded again and stated that he was going to find a table, and she nodded in understanding. ‘Uh, we’re sitting together?’ 

‘Of course, why wouldn’t you?’ her conscious responded.

‘I wasn’t asking you!’ Kagome thought back. Did she need a therapist?

Her food came and she sat down at a table with Kouga. He picked one in the corner, as far away from others as possible. ‘Was he anti-social?’ No he couldn’t be, or he wouldn’t be   
talking to her.

He watched her as she sat down. Her figure was nice; even in those tacky mint colored scrubs. Her eyes were a nice shade of chocolate brown, and her black hair was tied into a ponytail at the nape of her neck. Something about her appearance made him curious about her. 

Without looking up from salting her fries, she stated coolly “If you’re going to stare at me, make it less awkward and start a conversation.” 

He was a bit taken back by her statement; he hadn’t even realized he was staring for so long. Resuming to eating his food, he was trying to find words to say to her, questions to ask her. Anything to break the silence.

“What did your friends do?” she asked.  
He cocked his head to the side in a confused way, and Kagome couldn’t help but notice how defined his jaw was. 

“You said they were shitty. What did they do?” 

Dropping his head in an ‘oh yea’ manner, he answered “They were supposed to come get me hours ago, but apparently they had more important matters to attend to” he said in an annoyed voice.

Kagome decided it was best not to ask what the matters were for the sake of not wanting to sound nosy, and got back to her food. 

“And what’s bothering you?” he asked.

She looked up with a puzzled glance, but he kept eating his food waiting for an answer. When he didn’t hear one, he explained his question.

“You have this look on your face as if something’s bothering you.”

She didn’t know whether to be appreciative or offended by his observance, but she answered anyhow. 

“There’s just a lot on my mind.”

“Like?” he asked in a tone that expected her to answer that as well. Something about him made her comfortable with talking.

“Life.” Her one word response

Not satisfied with her answer, he decided to pick fun.

“Boyfriend cheating on you?”

Now of course he didn’t know about ‘the situation’ but something about that statement hit too close to home. Inuyasha and Kikyo’s wedding had been a constant issue on her mind, but did he cheat on her? They weren’t in a relationship, so would that count as cheating? No, it was just disrespectful. Realizing that Kouga had looked up at her, waiting for an answer, she decided to be a smart ass.

“Is yours?”

He laughed and smiled. Her heart sped up again. 

“I don’t swing that way babe” was his response.

“I don’t know, you and your friends Hakkaku and Ginta seem pretty damn close.”

“Are you always this rude with people?” he asked after taking a bite out of his chicken sandwich. 

“Do you always display such poor table manners when you’re eating with people?” Referring to his talking while his mouth was full.

“No” was his quick response.

“Then why me?” she asked curiously.

“Because I don’t know nor do I care about you enough to change my table manners.” He stated matter-of-factly.

She smirked, and instead of getting offended, she responded “Well at least you’re honest.”

He looked up and smiled at her again. She smiled back and his face softened.

“You have a decent smile; use it more often.” 

She laughed at his attempt to compliment. ‘I like his sense of humor, even if it is crude.’

“I don’t have a boyfriend.” She clarified; for whatever reason.

“Girlfriend?” –his response

“I don’t swing that way babe.” She was mocking him.

He laughed at her actions and wondered why he found himself so comfortable around this…stranger.

“How old are you?” he asked

“Twenty four, a year younger than you.”

“And you know this how?” he asked quickly.

“I looked at your accident report on your chart while assessing your injuries.”

“Oh, well, okay.”

A pregnant pause followed, and Kouga realized that they were both done eating, but neither of them wanted the conversation to end there.

“What do you do?” She asked.

He knew she was asking about his career or occupation. “I fix bikes, and I’m a bartender.”

“What bar?” She asked.

He smirked and leaned in towards her across the table. “Not anywhere for a little girl like you to be.”

She smiled impishly, and his pulse increased. ‘Damn, she’s got a nice smile.’

She leaned in across the table just like him, and made a pouty face. “I was only asking” she whined.

Kouga fought the urge not to lick his lips at the sight of hers pouted in such a way. His best bet was to lean back and answer.

“The Track”

“I’ve never heard of it.”

“What part of the city do you live in?’

“Main”

“That’s why. The bar is towards the outskirts.”

“Is that where you live?’

“Yes.”

She liked this conversation. As simple and friendly as it was, she liked listening to him talk. His natural cockiness that came with those fine features only added to the appeal of his   
raspy voice. When she checked her watch, she realized it was slightly after four o’clock, and she needed to get back to the ER. He noticed her check his watch and asked what time it was. When she answered, he knew that he had to get back to his room. Ginta and Hakkaku were supposed to be here soon.

“Well” he began “I guess I need to go back to my cell and wait for my boyfriends to pick me up” he stated while standing up and stretching. 

Kagome laughed again, and added on. “And I need to get back to the ER.”

He picked up their trash and disposed of it. Both slowly walked out of Wendy’s and she knew he was going to make his way to the elevator.

“Well thank you for entertaining me” she said with a smile.

“It was an honor my liege.” 

She giggled. “What is this? Feudal Japan?”

He smiled and answered through his laughs. “Hey, I think the feudal days were a cool part of our history.”

They chatted some more as he was getting ready to turn a hallway to go to the elevator. 

“Well, I hope you heal quickly, and I hope you get your bike fixed” Kagome said sincerely.

He looked at her and grinned. There was nothing more to say at this point but ‘have a good day.’ But there was something about her that he wanted to delve into, and not in a perverted way either. Although he wouldn’t mind doing that though. He shook his head quickly at the thought and decided to go in for the kill.

“Kagome, what are you doing Friday night?” he asked

Her eyes widened and her heart sped up again, her mouth went try and her brain fumbled for words. The last person she went on dates with was Inuyasha, and this is damn near exactly how he asked. Did she want to see Kouga again? Could she bring herself to do that? 

Kouga saw her face go through several emotions in a small amount of time, and he braced himself for a ‘no.’ But she reached into her pocket and pulled her phone out, swiped the screen a few times, and handed it to him. He smiled when he saw she opened her contacts, and put his name and number in.

“ I would exchange, but Ginta has my phone. Just text me later so I can save it” he stated. 

“Uh, y-yea, okay.”

“Well, have a good day Kagome.”

“You too”

At this, they parted ways and Kagome’s face went red with a wicked smile. She enjoyed hearing him say her name with sincerity. She rather enjoyed their little fast food date as well. Above all, she enjoyed the fact that she would be seeing him again Friday.

All throughout her work day, she thought about their conversation and would laugh out loud. Her co-workers were confused and a little scared by her change in mood. She came in all grumpy, but came back happy. They weren’t complaining though.

By the time 2 am hit, Kagome was so tired that she considered calling a cab instead of driving home. She somehow managed to get home and not get in an accident. As much as she wanted to plop down on her bed, she needed to shower. After her hot shower, she changed into a striped nightgown and climbed in the bed. She remembered that she needed to text Kouga so he could save her number. Should she just wait? It was so late yet early. 

‘It’s not like I expect a reply.’ But she text him anyway.

‘This is Kagome. Save my number. –Kagome’

She threw her phone on the nightstand because she honestly didn’t expect a reply until much later; however, when her phone vibrated she couldn't fight the unregistered smile that appeared on her face.

‘It’s past your bed time, but it’s saved. –KC’

She knew the KC stood for Kouga Convel, so she decided to make fun.

‘And why are you up KC? –Kagome’

‘Chest hurts, can’t really get comfortable. –KC’

She hadn’t expected a straightforward response, but was glad that she got one.

‘It’s going to be that way for a couple days, but it will get better. –Kagome’

‘Thanks, nurse Higurashi.- KC’

‘Noi problemk- Kagome’

She was basically sleep texting, and didn’t realize how poorly that message was written.

‘Noi problemk? Take your rude ass to sleep.- KC’

‘Lol, night Kouga. –Kagome’

‘Goodnight Kagome. –KC’

With her eyes barely open, she looked at that message with a huge smile. She was definitely acting like a giddy school girl all over again. With her phone still gripped in her hand, she fell asleep with no disturbing thoughts for the first time in a long time.


	4. 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kouga's last name, Convel, means 'wolf warrior.'

Sunday for Inuyasha…

He woke up to the clanging of pots in the kitchen and felt the left side of the bed. Putting two and two together, he knew that Kikyo must be attempting to cook. Inuyasha closed his eyes and tried to fall asleep but metal against metal wouldn’t let him. This is why he couldn’t stand staying the night at her place; he could never really rest well. He rolled out of the bed and slipped his boxers back on. What happened last night was one of the few reasons he was still with Kikyo. Quite frankly, he couldn’t think of any other reason he was with her. He and Kikyo had an unhealthy relationship. His temper did not mix well with her emotionless, lifeless demeanor, and every time he thought he should pull out of the relationship, she seduced him and loved him with her body until his mind changed. It was a vicious cycle; one that he could not get out of. How he had let things get to this point, he had no clue in hell. And by this point, he meant marriage. 

Was he truly in love with her? Or was he just in love with the things she did for him; how she made him feel? That would mean that he loved her for what she did, not for who she is. He’s not as dense as his friends and older brother accuse him of being. He knew that Kikyo really didn’t love him, but she was just sticking around for the money and power he provided her. Plus, great sex was a huge factor. It’s not like he hadn’t been with other women, but something about her was different. 

Walking into the kitchen, Inuyasha saw her standing in the fridge in his t-shirt; probably nothing on underneath. He smirked at that thought, and decided to strike conversation.

“What’s on the menu today?”

She turned around and gave a weak smile. “Oatmeal, toast, and eggs.”

Inuyasha scoffed and turned his nose up. “It doesn’t take all these pots and pans to make any of those.”

“I was thinking about making something special, but I realized that I need to go ahead and get ready.”

“Where the hell are you going?” he asked. Sometimes she would just go out and not text or tell him where she was, or who she was with. It bothered him.

She giggled deviously and sauntered over to him, wrapping her arms around his neck and planting a kiss there, she replied “More wedding plans, don’t you trust me?”

He hated that question because honestly, he didn’t know. He should trust her, she was his soon-to-be-wife, and she never gave him a reason not to trust her; not that he knew of. 

“Yea, I do.”

“Good!” she stated gladly. 

She walked back to get started on the bland breakfast she informed him of, and he went to the kitchen table where his laptop was and began checking emails. ‘Oh shit’ he thought. He had a meeting in an hour with the board of the hospital about plans to expand their grounds. Sesshomaru would kill him if he missed it; no really, Inuyasha really believed he would. 

Getting up quickly, he ran back to the bedroom to brush his teeth and get dressed. He was glad he brought over a change of clothes when he knew he’d be spending the night at her place. He tied his hair back because he was too lazy to comb any kinks out. He grabbed his laptop and belongings and ran to the kitchen to inform Kikyo of his sudden leave. 

She kissed him and pretended to be sad he was leaving. Once he was out of the door, she grabbed her cell and sent a text.

‘He has a meeting today, so can you come over now instead of me having to drive all the way to your place? –Kikyo’

‘Anything for you. I’m on my way. –Naraku’

888

Kagome really slept longer than she intended that Monday, which meant her body was must have really been tired. Not waking up until 1pm, she checked her phone to see if she had any messages. Ayame had text to thank her once again for covering her shift, Sango had asked what she was doing Wednesday night, and her younger brother Souta had text just to tell her he missed her. Kagome smiled at that, and text him back kind words. She’d get back to Sango and Ayame later. She had business to take care of today.

By business, she meant laundry. She was thankful there was a nice laundry mat around the corner from her complex, so she loaded up and drove there. Yes, it was within walking distance, but the thought of anyone possibly seeing her dirty underwear made her cringe. She set up there, and sat in a chair waiting for her whites to get done washing. To keep her occupied, she brought that mystery novel she had been reading with her. The heroine was so great; she almost wished she were her. 

Checking her social media for a bit, she saw one of those ‘people of Walmart’ photos. This one was of some guy in sandals and boxers. She automatically thought of Kouga at Wendy’s in socks and boxers and giggled. ‘Should I?’ she thought. She didn’t want to seem clingy by texting him again when she was just texting him earlier that morning, but that was only so he could save her number; she figured she was safe.

‘Saw this and it reminded me of you. 1 attachment. –Kagome’ 

She resumed reading and got caught up again in the heroine’s complicated love life when her phone vibrated.

‘It’s the new fashion statement. –KC’ 

Higurashi could do nothing but smile until her jaws hurt at his message. She really liked his sense of humor.

‘Let me guess, you’re the leader? –Kagome’ 

‘I’ve been rocking boxers and socks for years now, so yes I consider myself the leader. –KC’

‘Maybe I should join the trend. –Kagome’

‘Is it weird that I’d like to see that? –KC’

‘Only if you want it to be . –Kagome’ 

‘I don’t, so it’s not. –KC’ 

Kagome blushed. She was hiding no attempts to flirt with Kouga, and he made no attempts to hide it either. Before she could text back, her whites were done washing. She went over to place them in a dryer and loaded the washer with colored clothes. Another girl walked in the laundry mat and Kagome immediately recognized her as a neighbor. The two began to chat about how life was going and she forgot that she needed to text Kouga back.

He looked at his phone, no message back yet. Why did it matter if she didn’t text him back?

‘She’s probably busy’ he thought. Kouga went back to what he was doing. He was sitting at his wooden kitchen table looking over paperwork. Bills would need to be paid soon; he was glad he lived alone and hardly went anywhere. Finances were never a problem for him unlike Ginta and Hakkaku. They lived in their own apartment together while Kouga stayed in his grandfather’s home. The two never failed to ask him for money from time to time and would promise to pay him back. Of course, Kouga told them not to worry about it, that’s what friends were for.

His granddad always taught him the value of a dollar, and how money was not meant to be abused. He also stressed how it was important to take care of the people in your circle, and they’d take care of you in return. He unfortunately passed away six months ago, but Kouga and everyone else knew it was coming. You could only smoke for so long and be safe. When he had fallen in the late stages of lung cancer, Kouga sold his apartment and moved in with his granddad, and he told him that when he died, the house was his. Kouga was grateful for everything the old man had done for him, especially when he had such a troubled childhood. When he was seven, his parents were shot and killed at some club. Apparently they had been engaged in some drug business and it went all wrong. His dad’s dad took him in, and raised him like a child should be raised.

Kouga let out a sigh and continued looking over paperwork. His best bet was to go ahead and buy a new motorcycle. The amount of money it would take to save something that was beyond saving equaled that of a new bike. He also knew the medical bills would be coming in soon. His boss let him take last night off from the bar to recuperate, but from the looks of the money charges coming his way, he needed to get back to work as soon as possible. Just his luck, a headache came on and he buried his face in his hands. Life could be so unfortunate. A smile crept on his face and widened when his phone chimed.

‘I didn’t forget about you, but I got caught up in conversation with a friend.’ –Kagome

‘It’s cool, no need to apologize. –KC’

‘What are you up to? –Kagome’

‘Looking for a new bike. –KC’

‘Any particular kind? – Kagome

‘I’m trying to decide. It has to be all black that’s for sure. –KC’

‘Does black boost your ego?’ –Kagome’

‘As much as me texting you boosts yours ;). –KC’

Kagome laughed as she put the remaining dry laundry in a basket and turned to leave the mat. What made him think she was so happy to talk to him? Was she being obvious? She got in her car and before she started driving she replied.

‘Which isn’t very much ;). –Kagome’

‘Don’t pretend like you’re not happy to talk to me. –KC’

‘Are you?’ –Kagome’

She set her phone in the cup holder and it took her about fifteen seconds to pull back up to her complex. Checking her phone in a nervous hurry, her heart sped up at the reply.

‘I am.’ –KC’

‘As am I. –Kagome’

The two continued to text about random things throughout their day. When it was getting close to seven o’clock, Kouga told Kagome that he needed to catch a bus to work and that he’d text her later. Kagome was slightly sad they had to end their conversation, but she understood.

‘Have a good night at work. –Kagome’

‘Have a good night missing me. –KC’

‘What makes you think I’ll be doing that? –Kagome’

‘Will you? –KC’

‘…Maybe. –Kagome’

‘That’s good enough for me. Bye. –KC’

Kagome smiled and set her phone down. She curled up on her couch and continued to watch TV. They had been texting all day, and he was quickly growing on her. She liked his jokes and his choice of words. 

‘Do I like him already?’ She asked herself.

She just met the guy? How could she like him already? She put some deep thought into this and decided that she’d probably have an answer Friday night after their date. Her heartbeat increased as she thought about it. 

‘A date. A date with Kouga’

888

“Convel! How’s it going man? We didn’t think you’d be back to work so soon.” Kouga heard a voice shout. He knew it was none other than Seri; daughter to his boss. 

“There’s money to be made.” His short reply. He really wasn’t feeling well. The side effects of the pain medicine was making his head throb.

Seri walked from behind the nicely polished black bar and went over to hug Kouga. “I’m just glad you’re okay.” She said sincerely.

Kouga sighed and replied a quick thank you before untangling himself and going behind the bar to make sure everything was in check. Seri continued to make small talk with him, and of course he noticed her checking him out. Damon, the owner of the bar, was really trying to hook him up with his newly 18 year old daughter. Seri had had a crush on him for a long time, and he knew this, but he had no interest in her. She was cute, that’s for sure. Her hair was brown and short; stopped right at her neck. Her green eyes were her attention-attracters. Now that she was old enough to bartend, but not drink, drunken men would flirt with her and always compliment on her eyes. Little did he know, she wanted to hear that compliment from him. But the only thing he could ever see himself doing with her was what she was now legal to do, and he wouldn’t want to disrespect his boss like that, so he left her alone.

When the bar started to fill up, Kouga was bombarded with ‘man are you okay’s’ ‘do you have any scars?’ ‘can you pour me some Vodka straight up?’ These questions were annoying to him. If he wasn’t okay he wouldn’t be there, wounds don’t scar overnight, and yes of course he could pour them a drink considering he was the bartender. What was making him so irritable? 

Music flowed loudly through the speakers as some people danced, others at tables and booths eating, and some hanging around at the bar. Kouga had to explain at least ten times to ten different people what happened Saturday night. His shift wouldn’t end until 2 am when the bar closed, and it was only 9. This would be a long night. Seri had invited a couple friends to come to the bar, which was dumb. They couldn’t drink, and neither could she, so why were they there?

“Yea, that’s him.” Seri said pointing to Kouga off in the distance wiping down some tables.

“He...is…gorgeous.” her friend Anya breathed. Her other friend Reiya agreed and proceeded to ask Seri questions.

“How old is he?” “Does he have a girlfriend?” “Do you guys text?” “What’s he working with under that shirt?”

Seri answered each and every question. Twenty five, single, no because she didn’t have his number, and definitely a 6 pack. Her dad liked to invite friends and employees over to their house for parties, and often Seri was left to mope in her room because she wasn’t old enough to join. When she was sixteen, her dad finally allowed her to socialize with the people he brought over, and that was the first time she saw Kouga. Long black hair, tied up. Tan skin, piercing blue eyes, and when he got in their pool, and oh so yummy looking body. Of course she couldn’t come on to him, she was too young, but now…

“I don’t know how he feels about me.” Seri stated sadly. Sometimes Kouga showed her no interest, and sometimes he would engage in funny conversations with her. When some bar hogs would get too drunk and hit on her too much, he’d intervene. But that didn’t mean anything, did it?

She continued to talk to her friends while watching him out of the corner of her emerald eye. She was so glad he hadn’t been seriously injured the other night. Just as she was admiring him some more, he looked up and caught her eye. She looked away quickly missing the slight smirk that pulled his mouth. ‘She needs a boyfriend so she could stop obsessing over me.’

His break time approached and he went to the back to find some chips to eat; his appetite wasn’t really up to par today. He hated feeling so goddamn weak. He scrolled through social media sites and stumbled across a professional photo of a hot nurse in some skimpy uniform. One of his idiotic friends posted ‘If only I could get something like that!’ 

Kouga smiled and beamed when he thought of who he could send this to.

‘Saw this and thought of you. 1 attachment. –KC’

He went back to scrolling and eating when his phone sounded.

‘If only I looked like that, then this would be accurate. –Kagome’

‘I haven’t seen you in anything else besides those scrubs, so I’m not judging yet. –KC’

‘What makes you think you’ll be seeing anything? –Kagome’

‘Those smiley faces you send me in your texts. –KC’

Ughhh! She said, and then she let out a laugh. He always found a way to outwit her. 

‘Don’t tell me you’re one of those guys.. –Kagome’

‘Which guys? –KC’

‘One of the ones that take little stuff, like smiley faces, for something else. –Kagome’

‘What do you want me to take them as? –KC’

‘The fact that I’m smiling, and nothing else. –Kagome’

‘Your request is my command, Emogak. –KC’

‘What? What is that? –Kagome’

‘Read it backwards. Gotta get back to work. Bye. –KC’

Emogak? Eeee-moooo-gak? Read backwards, Kagome. “Oh my gosh!” Kagome shook with laughter. That’s such an unattractive nick-name. She decided to flirt extra hard and even though he wouldn’t see the message till later…

‘Don’t call me that during sex. –Kagome’

She laughed hysterically at her own forwardness. No, she wasn’t a pervert. She was only messing with him. Truthfully, Kagome was still a virgin, and she would bet her lucky ass that Kouga was indeed not a virgin. She really hoped that he would take that as just a joke. Because she was only joking, right?

888

Meanwhile, that Monday for Inuyasha…

“Why won’t she answer her damn phone?” Inuyasha was at the hospital is his office trying to call Kikyo. He had extra paperwork to catch up on, but he couldn’t figure out if the papers were still in his office, his house, or Kikyo’s; which was why she needed to answer her phone. She said that she had to meet with the wedding planner again today; what she had to meet him about he had no idea. The wedding was in three weeks, what else was there to do but sit and wait.

He tried calling her again and it still rang and went to voicemail. He slammed his phone down on his desk and plopped down in his chair to think. Was he ready to do this? Marriage; it seemed like they were rushing it, but they had been dating for a year now. His mind drifted back to when they first started talking. It wasn’t long after the newbie’s training day that Kikyo would show up in his office, just to make random conversation. At first he was irritated by it, and told her that she couldn’t just come to his office and talk because she wanted to. Plus, his mindset wasn’t really on her at the time. He was trying to scope out the other newbie, Kagome. 

When he had asked Kagome on that date, his intentions were not honorable. He wanted one thing from her really, and he was wondering if she would be up for it. For their first date, they went to this sushi place he really liked, and the night was going as planned. She was laughing and smiling and joking with him. He liked her fire; her confidence was a turn on. By the end of the night, he realized that he wasn’t as interested as getting in her pants and he was in getting to know her. So their dating continued. Inuyasha enjoyed his time with her, and before he could stop himself, he had feelings for her.

He was honestly thinking of just making it official and going out with her, but as soon as the thought crossed his mind in his office late at night, Kikyo sauntered in.

“Inuyasha, my shift is over.”

“Keh, what the hell you telling me for?” he rudely responded.

Instead of her leaving like he expected, she smiled even more and closed his office door. 

“What are you doing?” he asked lowly.

“Inuyasha, I think you know perfectly well what it is that I want.” She began to remove her scrub top to reveal a tiny black tank top underneath. Her breasts were popping out so much it almost left nothing to imagination. She came over to sit on the edge of his desk and crossed her legs. 

“If this is your way of asking for a raise, it’s not the way to do it.” He stated. But truthfully, he was gawking at her perky rack so deliciously on display for him. ‘How long had it been since…’ he thought. Since he was dating Kagome, he hadn’t had sex in months. He knew she wasn’t up for it, and he did have needs after all. So at the time, the only “logical” thing to do was…

He stood up and came face to face with her.

“I don’t need your money, but I do need something else.” Kikyo responded. Her arms came up to squeeze his muscular biceps and he moved in a little closer to whisper in her ear.

“I don’t think you know what you’re getting yourself into.” He began to massage her mounds and kiss her neck.

She exhaled a deep breath and simply responded “No, you don’t know what you’re getting yourself into.”

At the time, he didn’t know what she meant and thought she was teasing him about not being able to handle her. If only he knew…

He started communicating and seeing Kagome less and less, and he did feel bad. But something about Kikyo felt so..good and right. At first he believed it was just lust, but somehow he developed feelings. If she went out to the club, he would get jealous and think she was going to meet someone. They’d argue for hours about how she belonged to him and no other, and he didn’t want her shaking her ass in front of drunken assholes. She’d ignore him as always and go out anyway. He’d be at home, technically him and Sesshomaru’s mansion, fuming. And then she’d show up, hot and ready, making her physical apology. He knew this was no good. She even convinced him to ignore Kagome and not apologize.

“You two never dated; apologize for what?” Kikyo asked one night after rough relations. 

He exhaled a cloud of cigarette smoke and responded.

“Well, apologize for cheating on her.” He knew that an apology wasn’t going to fix shit, but somehow he hoped…

“Like I said, you two were not in a relationship. No need to say sorry for something you didn’t do” she said more sternly.

He looked over at her with the cigarette in his mouth. ‘What is this woman doing to me?’ he thought.

“You’re probably right” he said nonchalantly. 

“Mmm, I know I am” she responded. Her hand ran up his thigh, over his shaft lightly just to tease, up his chest and finally to his mouth where she removed his cigarette and began smoking it herself.

He enjoyed her kinky actions; it seemed to be the only time where he honestly enjoyed her at all. Anything else, they were arguing, and she was ignoring him. ‘This is wrong’ he thought as she climbed on top of him. Never had he been so helpless at a woman’s touch like Kikyo’s; what was wrong with him? He couldn’t possibly love her. These thoughts vanished when she impaled herself on him with a loud moan, cigarette still in mouth. This was the vicious cycle he was in.

And as he sat at his desk that Monday night thinking about it, he was seriously getting ready to marry this girl when he didn’t even know how he really felt about her. She could be so lifeless sometimes. She never showed passion for anything; except when they were engaged in the acts of passion. But that was it. Was he even happy? 

‘I should have kicked her out of my office that night?’ he thought about the first night that they did it. Would he be with Kagome if he had? He couldn’t lie, whenever he did see her, waves of guilt hit him with surprising force. Would be he be happy, and in love, and getting ready to marry her instead?’ She was such a hard worker, and everyone on the staff loved her. He missed her fire, her innocent passion, and her smiles. This was wrong of him to be thinking like this. He was soon to be a married man, so this was no time for second guessing. He sighed and let out strings of curses to the air. If he had any doubts, he had less than three weeks to figure them out.

888  
He was not going to wait till 3 am to catch a bus, so he just decided to call a cab. He was sleep deprived and his head was still throbbing. If pain medicine was supposed to stop the pain, why was he feeling more of it? He made a mental note to ask Kagome about that later. Speaking of Kagome, he was still trying to figure out what the hell to say to the last message she sent him. ‘Don’t call me that during sex –Kagome’

As he was in the backseat of the cab, he kept staring at his phone screen as if the message would magically change itself. She had to be joking right? She hardly knew him, so this had to just be a tease for fun, right? It’s not like he wouldn’t mind, but he didn’t just want physical relations with this girl. Something about her made him feel warm; content with life. Even though he had his own place, which was pretty nice by the way, and two jobs, something was lacking. And when he talked to her, the lacking feeling went away. He wasn’t a touchy-feely kind of guy. He hooked up with girls for the pleasure of pleasure, and left afterwards. Until he found someone he thought to be important, then he wouldn’t treat any other girl like she was. 

Kouga had always assumed that when the right one came along, he would just…know. Somehow, he’d sense that she was the one for him. But he hadn’t felt anything special yet, so he put no thought into a serious relationship. He had been in a couple relationships here and there to get a feel for it, and they just weren’t his thing. So why did he find himself wanting more from Kagome? And exactly what more did he want? As the cab pulled up to his house, he paid the man and said a quick parting word before dragging his feet to his door. He needed to text her back; he didn’t want her thinking he was turned off by the message, but he also didn’t want her to know he was turned on by it either. The only thing he could muster as he collapsed on his bed was…

‘Slow your role, pervert –KC’

There. A quick joke to ease the awkwardness of the situation. He didn’t know if she was even up, but if she was, she had better reply fast. Sleep was kicking in.

Kagome was laying stomach down on her bed reading the mystery novel. She should probably sleep, because it was now Tuesday, and she would have to be to work at 1pm. A vibration from her phone stole her attention from an impending love scene between the heroine and the hero and she was slightly annoyed. Seeing whose name it was that texted, her feelings changed really fast.

‘Lol, you know I was only joking. –Kagome’

‘I figured as much. –KC’

‘What are you trying to say? –Kagome’

‘I’m saying, you don’t seem like the type to be so forward with a man. You’re ladylike. –KC’

“Awwwwww” she cooed. Her cheeks pained and filled with blood as she blushed hard in the dimly lit room.

‘I’m glad you noticed- Kagome’

‘I’ll always notice things about you. Goodnight Kagome- KC’

‘Goodnight Kouga –Kagome’

Why was she smiling so hard? Why was she so happy? This didn’t make any sense. Males had complimented her before, and her heart was never stirred by it the way it was now. Kouga had an effect on her. She didn’t know when she officially began to like him, but it was clear to her now. Her eyes slipped back down to the love scene of the mystery novel. It was pretty erotic. The vivid details the author used left Kagome grinning and thinking how nice it would be to experience what the heroine was experiencing. Maybe with Kouga perhaps? 

“Oh, what the hell am I thinking!?” she asked herself aloud, angrily. 

She found a stopping point and climbed under the covers. Her thoughts were of none other than she and Kouga; holding each other in a tight embrace, forehead pressed to forehead, and joining in a slow, passionate kiss.

‘Gods, what have I gotten myself into?’ her last thought before she drifted off into an uninterrupted oblivion.


	5. 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kouga and Kagome argue about push up bras. Drama ensues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tumblr: nocanonhere

“For the last time, just wait and see!” Kouga stated excitedly but slightly irritated. He was in the passenger seat of Ginta’s car being questioned to death by Hakkaku.

“You don’t keep secrets from us Ko!” Hakkaku laughed.

All three erupted into laughter; half because of the way Hakkuka just said what he said, and the other half because they know Kouga hates that nickname. He found it lazy. All you have to say is Kou-ga, two short parts. Why shorten it to Ko?

“I don’t want to jinx it.” Kouga stated.

“How the fuck can you jinx something like this? We’re on the way there now!” Ginta piped out.

“I don’t know man! Maybe we’ll get in a car accident and die!” Kouga joked.

The two friends started to tell Kouga how ridiculous that sounded when Ginta avoided hitting a driver that ran a red light. He sped up quickly to just barely avoid t-boning the other car. All three sat wide eyed and silent until they realized how close of a call that was. When they realized they almost died, they burst into hysterical laughter again. Kouga was right; maybe they should just wait to see the new bike instead of asking about it.

Yes, he was on his way to ride out of the lot with a new motorcycle. He had his eye on this bike for a while; he just never thought he would be able to purchase it. Kouga had gotten a call Tuesday from his grandfather’s will-maker. He asked Kouga how he was fairing with the home and was confused as to why he was calling him. He then proceeded to ask Kouga why he hadn’t reaped the benefits of his grandfather’s will. To make a long story short, grandpa left Kouga quite a bit of money. QUITE a bit. Definitely more that a bit. 

Kouga never set up a will reading because he didn’t think his old man had anything to give away to anyone. But when you take into account his 401k, life insurance, small dabbles in the stock market, and the fact that he just knew how to save money, Kouga was going to be fairing quite well. 

When the boys pulled up to the bike shop, they were surprised to see that this wasn’t like the one he worked at. This looked like the kind of place that Robocop got his motorcycle. Needless to say, the trio looked out of their element in there. 

“Kouga, you sure we at the right place?” Hakkaku asked nervously. 

“I already set up an appointment with the salesman and everything. All I have to do now is sign a few papers and ride out of here with my new baby.”

The boys itched in excitement to see the new ride Kouga chose. They knew that black was his color, but they wanted to know the brand.

He didn’t lie either. Kouga went into an office to discuss some business, payments, and sign papers, and when he walked back out, he was holding a single key on a loop to his new bike.

“You boys ready to see the new love of my life?” Kouga asked confidently.

They didn’t answer, only nodded as they followed Kouga out to the back where his new chariot awaited. What they saw made them howl in excitement.

There in the middle of the lot was a brand new all black Ninja motorcycle. The slight dip in the middle where the seat was fit Kouga perfectly, and the small ninja star decoration on the back only added to the bad-ass aura radiating from it. And there on the right side, the word Ninja was printed in nice, small cursive. He loved the sounds of approval he was receiving from his companions.

“You like?” he asked mischievously.

“All the boys at the shop are gonna want to kill you for this!” Ginta stated.

“Hmph, they can try.” Kouga said lowly.

They talked for a while more before Kouga said he needed to test ride the bike. When he ignited the engine, the low rumble and purr the bike gave made this body tingle. ‘Who needs a girlfriend when you have this?’ he thought.

The curves of the highways only made riding the bike better. It was sleek, fast, and black! What more could he ask for? When he arrived to the auto-shop he worked at from time to time, the guys admired him and his new ride. Some said that they still wanted to race him just to see the power the bike held. At first he was hesitant because, hello! He was just in the hospital less than a week ago for racing. But when some of them started to call him on punking out, he changed his mind and decided that he would wear the proper equipment when the time came. 

When he was driving home, his mind drifted to Kagome. Today was Wednesday, making their date two days away. He knew where he was taking her, but he didn’t tell her that he was picking her up on the bike.

‘I really hope she’s not scared to get on this thing.’ He thought. Could he ever date a woman that was afraid of his motorcycle? He laughed out loud at the thought. ‘I should probably tell her not to wear a dress.’ When the thought of her dress flying up crossed his mind, an impish smile touched his lips. ‘She’d kill me.’ Yesterday, he lied and told her that he would be picking her up from her complex with Ginta’s car. He smiled even wider thinking about what her face will look like when she sees the new ride. When he arrived at his house, he parked the bike in his garage, and spoke…

“Ninja, you’re my new wing man.”

888

“This…is…perfect!” Sango chirped. Normally she wasn’t so giddy, but the news Kagome just spilled to her changed that normality. 

“Sangooooo, it’s just one date, not a proposal!” Kagome said seriously. But the large grin she wore on her face betrayed her seriousness. 

“What she’s trying to say” Miroku chimed in “is that it’s great that you’ve found a good guy. From what you’ve told us so far, he sounds like a nice fit for you.” 

Kagome smiled even wider. ‘Gods, my cheeks are going to rip in half’ she thought. If she continued to smile, she was pretty sure she’d be on her way to Edo ER soon. It was a Wednesday night, which meant girls plus Miroku night. All three had Wednesdays off, and while Miroku and Sango would spend the days, and nights together, the three always went out to eat to catch up.

“I cannot wait to meet him.” Sango was sure she sounded more like an excited mother praying for grandchildren rather than a friend. This guy sounded hot, and Kagome’s facial expressions while talking about him made her spirits lift. Kagome had always had a fire that she envied, but after Inuyasha, it seemed to have died down. Sango tried everything she could. Shopping dates, mani-pedi dates, food dates! Who the hell doesn’t cheer up over a food date? Kagome was always happy her friend would spoil her some days, but her mind was always on Inuyasha and his betrayal.

But now here she was, trying to act like she wasn’t excited when Sango knew she was, about her date. “Do you know what you’re going to wear? It’s going to be a little bit chilly that night.”

While the girls talked about clothes and color schemes, Miroku’s phone alerted him to a text message. He was only mildly surprised that it was Inuyasha.

‘Need to talk. Feel like hitting up Romie’s for some drinks? –I.T.’

‘Out with Sango; maybe tomorrow? –M’

‘You’re with her all the time, ditch one night and hang with me? I need to talk to you –I.T.’

‘Ugh, about?-M’

‘Kagome. –I.T.’

That one word text message made Miroku’s stomach churn. ‘Oh, hell’ he thought. This entire situation seemed like it was about to get really ironic. 

‘On the way to Romie’s. –M’

Miroku explained that he needed to go meet Inuyasha at the bar, and both Sango and Kagome looked at him suspiciously. 

“Why?” Sango asked slowly.

He knew he couldn’t say why. No need to start drama when he wasn’t even entirely sure what was going to transpire. 

“He needs to have guy talk with me.” He said so in a way that made Kagome scowl and Sango scoff.

“Don’t worry, my love” he moved in for a slow kiss on the lips that he knew would ease her doubt. “I’ll be back at your place tonight.” With that, Sango nodded in understanding and he left.

Kagome admired Miroku and envied Sango. She had such a charming guy wrapped around her sleeve. It was no secret that they were in love, but Sango still had doubts about him. When the two girls would have their late night phone conversations, Sango would confess to Kagome her fears of Miroku cheating on her. Everyone knew he loved the ladies, but since he and Sango became serious, that womanizing characteristic disappeared. Kagome knew their relationship was strong, but she disliked that Sango would worry about something so trivial. 

Watching her friends face turn into one of longing and deep thought, Kagome interrupted. 

“He loves you, damn it! Stop worrying.”

Sango smirked at her friends concern. She trusted him, she really did. But Sango had always learned how to prepare herself for heartbreak. She learned that after her mother died so many years ago. Her father, who was distraught at the loss of his wife, constantly reminded her and her brother Kohaku to be strong with every challenge, and also to be prepared for whatever comes their way. Miroku loved her, but sometimes she felt insecure compared to the other women that threw themselves at him. He’d sense this doubt, and did whatever he could to dissolve it. Sometimes, he would make love to her all night so that she could forget those insecurities, and when they were done, he’d whisper sweet nothings in her ear to remind her how much he loved her.

“Enough about me, more about your outfit!” Sango stated.

“Well,” Kagome began “I was thinking about wearing a dress, but then you said it was supposed to be cold, so now I don’t know.”

The two went on about attire and then the golden light bulb dinged in Sango’s head.

“You can ask Kouga to take you to the wedding!” 

Kagome’s mouth dropped open in disbelief. Wasn’t she tired of prodding her about this damn wedding yet? She wanted to make a smart remark so badly, but then she closed her mouth and smiled. ‘Would Kouga mind going with me?’ She didn’t think he would mind. Snapping out of the absurd thought, she sweetly replied.

“Maybe.” 

888

“Ohhhh! Right there!”

Headboard continued to collide with the wall as Kikyo was being hardly taken by her lover. Only a few more curses from Naraku brought them both to their climatic bliss with groans. There were just some things he did better than Inuyasha, and sex was one of them. 

As he rolled off the top of her, he pulled her into his embrace and kissed her. This woman was his now, no one else’s. Well, except…

“Kikyo” his voice had a natural rasp to it that made her shiver when he said her name “we need to…discuss some matters.”

Kikyo sighed and closed her eyes in irritation. She knew exactly what matters he was referring to. ‘Way to ruin a great moment’ she inwardly groaned.

“What?” she asked. As if she didn’t already know.

Naraku took his gaze off her and landed it on a small picture laying face down on her nightstand. He knew all too well what it was, because every time he would step into her bedroom, she’d lay it down. The wedding was approaching too quickly. He and Kikyo agreed a while ago that her being married wouldn’t change anything; they’d still be lovers. 

They had met in a nightclub months ago. She was with a few girlfriends, and was scoping him out from her table. He was at the bar, drinking and scoping for some girl to enjoy for the night when he caught her eyes. It was a pretty cliché situation. He glided to her table and introduced himself. She asked him to sit, and her friends to leave. They talked, laughed, danced, went to her place, and fucked. It wasn’t anything new for him, and from the experience he had with her that night, it wasn’t new for her either. 

So, why were they here? She continued to pursue him, and he couldn’t deny her. Something about her mysteriousness and seductive voice pulled him in over and over. It wasn’t long after their first rendezvous that she told him of her fiancé, Inuyasha. He was disappointed to find that she was already taken, why, he didn’t know. But they continued to see each other, and each time they did see each other, they learned more about the other. Unplanned, he developed feelings for the vixen. 

Kikyo watched Naraku’s face chance expressions and figured that he was trying to find the right words to say, or reflecting. This was pointless because there would never be right words to say to their situation, and reflection was only going to make it worse. Lately, he had becoming more possessive, asking her why he couldn’t come see her at work. When she’d remind him of Inuyasha, he would get angry and yell at her. He’d pry her as to why she didn’t love him, and why was she even with Inuyasha when she had him. It was becoming a displeasure to be around him. She’d force tears and screw him until he forgot why he was mad. That had been simple enough, but now, it was getting scary. Monday, when Inuyasha went to that meeting and Naraku came over, he was seething with anger. He grabbed her left arm so hard it began to bruise. He forced her against a wall and yelled at her about how she was no longer making enough effort to come see him, and that they were talking less and less. 

Before, Kikyo had the power to sex him senseless, but now he had the upper hand. He had learned all the places to touch her, all the rough words to say during sex; he was beginning to dominate her fading superiority, and she knew this. He had grabbed her hands and pinned him above her head and took her right there on the wall. He looked down and noticed she was wearing a large t-shirt that was blocking his view. She guessed he realized it was Inuyasha’s, because he pulled out and roughly pulled it over her head. Next thing she knew, she was laying with her bottom up in the air, being insulted and screwed by Naraku. He was reminding her that she was a money-loving whore, and that if Inuyasha was doing her right, she wouldn’t keep coming to him. It was becoming unbearable, but deep down, she liked his harsh actions and words; they thrilled her. Knowing that marrying Inuyasha wouldn’t make it any easier, she decided that she needed to break this liaison off soon. She just didn’t know how.

“I must ask you a question; promise to be honest with me.” Naraku said. She nodded as her heart beat increased; she hated questions.

“Why?” he asked quietly.

Kikyo knew exactly what he meant by “why.” Why was she marrying Inuyasha?

“I’ve told you before, he comes with benefits and it’s easy to manipulate him.”

Naraku’s face hardened at this. “And why are you with me?” 

She opened her mouth to say something, but was stuck on words. How does she explain herself without giving herself away? Of course she didn’t want to admit that she loved being under his control, and he was as addicting as he thought her to be. But she also had feelings for Inuyasha. Each time Naraku asked her why she was marrying him, she lied and said for the benefits. Without him being there for her to control, she felt weak and powerless. It was like she couldn’t live without his submission, his soft embraces, his loving ways. She was no woman to be loved, yet he loved her anyhow. And all of those things made her feel like she was worth something; not all the things she really was. That was her issue; she couldn’t face reality. 

“I enjoy being with you” her response.

“How do you manage to lie to Inuyasha and me so well?” His voice was becoming menacing, and so was his expression.

“I do not…”

“Don’t lie!” he snapped. “You promised me honesty.” 

She sat up and covered her breasts with a pillow. ‘What do I say?’ she thought helplessly.   
“Naraku” she started softly. “Maybe it is best if we take some time apart to think about what we’re doing here.”

“Oh, I’ve already thought about it Kikyo.” He spat her name like venom. This was not going to end well for her and she knew it. His anger was unpredictable, but his attitude leading up to his outbursts were clear signs. 

“And what exactly did you conclude?”

Naraku disliked her smart tone and pulled her down from her chair position so that he was on top of her. Kikyo began to thrash around. “Get off me!” she demanded. But her thrashing was useless; Naraku had strength. 

“But Kikyo, I thought you wanted to know my conclusion” he spoke slowly and sweetly as he placed one knee between her legs and began to rub at her core. She stifled a moan and tried to keep her mouth shut tight. He laughed at this. She could try all she wanted, but her attempts would fail miserably once he began to touch her in all the right places.   
He continued his actions and breathed hot breath on her ear, making her body arch up. 

“My conclusion” he began “is that as long as I can make you melt by touching you like this,” he removed his knee from in between her and replaced it with this hand; causing a shaky breath to spill from her mouth, “then I know you’re not going anywhere.” Kikyo started to say something, but before she could, he put his other hand over her mouth and fingered her with the other, hard. He reveled in her muffled noises, and continued to whisper in her ear. 

“You can deny your feelings for me if you want, but you’ll never stop wanting this. Inuyasha may be richer than me, but he’ll never be able to make you feel like this. Whatever you feel for him doesn’t mean anything as long as you let me touch you like this.” His actions became rougher, and Kikyo just wanted to let out a scream at her approaching climax. He sensed it as well, and as soon as she was on the brink, he removed his hand.

This caused an aggravated groan from Kikyo and an evil smirk from Naraku. He got up and slid his pants on and quickly put on his shirt. Her eyes watered as he grabbed his phone and keys. How did she let this happen? When did she allow him to have such a hold on her? How did he understand her so well? She knew what he was doing, and as much as she wanted to be strong and let him leave…

As soon as he got to the bedroom door, she jumped up from the bed and went over to grab him.

“Please” she whispered unsteadily “don’t leave me like this.” She expected him to change his mind and join her in bed once again, but he shook his arm from her grasp and made his way through the hallways to the front door. Oh, he was going to make her suffer today. 

Kikyo followed behind him, in all her naked glory, begging him to stay, begging him to finish what he was doing. When he got to the front door, she let the pent up tears fall. 

These weren’t forced; these were real. “Naraku, please! What do you want from me? What do you want me to do?” she cried. He turned around and looked at her with that devious look in his eyes. Those same eyes traveled from her feet to her head, spending extra time on her breasts. This was what he wanted. He wanted this woman to beg for him. He knew she needed him physically; so maybe he could make her want him emotionally and mentally through this torture. 

He walked up to her and picked her up roughly, shoving her against the door. His fingers found the inside of her once more, and picked up the pace he left off. This time he let her mouth stay uncovered, not so he could hear her moans, but so she could answer his questions. 

“Tell me you will not leave me” he demanded.

“I won’t leave” she cried. 

“Tell me you don’t love him” he stated louder.

Kikyo let tears slip from her eyes as he was purposefully speeding up his pace to climax-causing speed, and slowing it down to a slow torture. She needed to answer him quickly.

“I-I don’t love him” she bit out. His pace continued as a slow one.

“Tell me you love me” he said lowly. He needed to hear it, even if it was a lie. She did not want to answer this. She didn’t even know herself. She loved what he did to her, but did she love him?

When she didn’t answer fast enough for him he pulled her away from the door, removed his hand, and let her fall to the floor. “No!” she cried. She got on her knees, “I love you 

Naraku, I do! Please don’t ever leave me!” 

He grinned again. There. He broke her. He climbed on top of her and shoved her down to the floor. “There, that’s what I wanted to hear” he said huskily. Shoving his hand back into her, her picked up a quick pace and growled dirty statements in her ear. When she approached the cliff this time, he let her fall off. And she fell screaming his name and panting hard. When she hit rock bottom, he reminded her of her earlier statement.

“Do you still think we should take that break?”

Kikyo gathered her breath and replied with a simple ‘no.’ He smiled and kissed and nuzzled her neck.  
“I didn’t think so.”

888

“Why do you keep looking at me like that? If you got something to say, say it already!” Inuyasha was agitated with his friend’s actions. As soon as he started explaining to Miroku how he was feeling his face had dropped to a solemn expression.

“Yash, I really do not know what to say” Miroku said in an overwhelmed tone. 

Inuyasha sighed and took another drink of beer. He knew this was going to be difficult, but he needed to pour his thoughts to someone. It couldn’t be Kikyo because…well… it was partially about her.

“I think it’s a good idea” Inuyasha stated highly.

“No. No. No. It is not a good idea. Not even remotely good! It’s just plain irrational” Miroku said. Inuyasha asked him for his advice, and he was going to give it.

“Why!?” he asked back angrily. 

“Because!” he started “You cannot just drop someone like a piece of trash and come back to pick them up once you’ve realized it was wrong to litter! Kagome is a human being, and not one that waits on you to decide what you want. This whole idea is foolish.” Miroku was going to let him have it tonight.

Inuyasha stared at him with half-lidded eyes of anger. “I have to do this! The guilt has been eating away at me. I need to talk to her, to apologize, to ask her how she feels about me.”

“The only thing she feels for you is resentment” he replied.

This took Inuyasha by surprise, and even Miroku was appalled by his own tone of voice. 

“We’re supposed to be friends. And you’re treating her better than me.”

“I am not! But I cannot defend you on something that was your fault. You made a mistake by lying to her, and trying to apologize now would be a bad idea. She’s already moved on.”

The last sentence Miroku said caught Inuyasha’s attention. Miroku reached a hand out as if he could somehow pull back the words he just spoke, but it was too late.

“She’s seeing someone else?” He asked in a hurt tone. Why was he hurt? She deserved to be happy after what he did to her, but now that he wanted her back, she was with someone else.

Miroku closed his eyes and exhaled a deep breath of irritation. “Yes, she is currently talking to someone.”

Inuyasha tore his eyes from his friends face and stared at his half empty glass. He thought long and hard about this plan, but with her seeing someone else, it couldn’t work. Or could it?

“She cared for me once, I’m sure I can make her care again.” With confidence in his voice, he looked back up at his friend who was staring at him incredulously. 

“And what about your fiancé, Kikyo?”

“I told you. I’m going to tell her that there’s a lot of work coming up soon with the hospital and that we need to postpone the wedding for a while. This will give me plenty of time to figure out how I feel about Kagome, and if I still care for her, I’m going to call off the engagement with Kikyo.”

“For any and every heaven among us please” Miroku mumbled “Inuyasha, what will you do when Kagome does not return your affections?” He put extra emphasis on the word ‘when’ so his confused friend would notice.

“Then I’ll apologize to Kikyo and go on with the engagement! It’s a win-win situation.” He cocked his head to the side as a sign of asking for approval, but was surprised when he saw his friend plop his head down on the bar, hard.

“Kagome…will…not…care for you again. Especially not with this new guy she has. She really likes him and you do not have the right to come in her life and toy with her heart. I love you man, but my answer is going to be a no.”

Inuyasha slammed some money on the bar, earning the attention from the bartender, and got up to leave. He didn’t need this crap from his friend. He was going to go through with it, whether Miroku approved or not. He stormed out to his car and before he could get in, said friend was trailing behind him calling his name.

“I did not mean to offend you, but maybe it would be best to just apologize to Kagome instead of trying to earn her heart again. That much you owe her; an apology. And if somehow, this new guy can’t compete with her feelings for you, then you’ve won fair and square. But you have to play it fairly. That means no sweet text messages or anything. You have to let her decide on her own.”

Inuyasha mulled this over in his mind. Miroku was right. This would have to be done in a just fashion. Even though that was not his original intention, he still felt confident. This new guy was exactly what he was; new! But he and Kagome had history; he felt like he could make this work.

“Alright, it’s settled then” he stated cockily. “I’ll apologize and ever-so-slightly admit my feelings for her, and Kagome will make up her mind from that point forward.”

The two men shook hands as if to seal some kind of deal, and Inuyasha Taisho sped off in his sports car. Miroku stood in the dark parking lot staring at the trail of smoke he left behind and spoke to himself.

“I am so glad I don’t have to go through this shit anymore.”

888

“Oh my gosh, Kouga stop!” Kagome laughed. She was sure he was getting tired of her giggles by now.

“I’m just being honest; girls should not wear push-up bras for any reason. It’s nothing but false advertisement” he replied. 

Kagome replied to his statement to continue the random debate about push-up bras. It was going on two a.m. and the pair had been on the phone for almost two hours. His shift at the bar ended early due to slow business, and he had called her when he got home. She was surprised and excited and nervous when she saw his name show up on her screen as a phone call. But the more they talked, the more comfortable she got.

They had spent these hours discussing random things, which would lead into conversations about other random things, and so on and so forth. Not once had she cared about how late it was getting, and from the looks of it, neither did he. 

“Kagome, do you wear push-ups?” 

“No! I don’t need to” she laughed out.

“So you think it is okay for a woman with no boobs to wear a push up?”

“It’s fine by me.”

“So, so, so, what you’re telling me is, lying is okay to you?” Kouga made this statement like an interrogator, eliciting another laugh from Kagome.

“Whoa, that escalated quickly! No I do not think lying is okay.”

“But it’s okay for a woman to lie about her breasts?”

“Kouga!” she laughed out again “you’re just saying nonsense now.”

He laughed heartily which made Kagome’s chest swell. She liked the fact that she could make him laugh as well. 

“Women are so double standard.” He said quickly.

“So now you want to discuss double standards, huh? I’m down. But how is what we’re talking about correlating with double standards?”

“Because, a woman wears a push up bra and has the nerve to get offended when a guy gets offended about her small breasts. You know what? It’s not even about the boobs; it’s the principle behind it!”

Kagome could not stop her cackles at how serious his tone was, but she knew he was joking. 

“What is the principle behind it Kouga?”

“The principle” he paused for dramatic affect “is that push-up bras are lies. They are lies and women just expect us to be okay with the fact that they lied. Meanwhile, if I stick a baguette in my pants, I’m an insecure jerk who needs to grow up. But I can’t say anything about y’alls fake tits? Double fucking standard.” 

Kagome could not control the wails of laughter tearing from her chest any longer. Kouga was a straight fool for this conversation. She couldn’t even form anything to say back because his argument was somehow valid. Even though she could go on and on with double standards, she decided to let him have this once.

“Alright” she wheezed “alright, okay, okay, you can have it. You win this one Kouga!” Kagome struggled out. She was still laughing too hard.

“I thought you’d see it my way” he said in a cocky tone. Once her laughter submerged, he decided to take the conversation on a different road.

“You excited about Friday night?” he asked sexily. He loved using that voice on her, because she’d use hers right back. 

“I am. I’d enjoy it even more if you’d tell me where we’re going” she responded.

He scoffed “I already told youuuu!”

“No, you told me what we were going to be doing, and that’s eating. But you did not tell me where.” He guffawed in an evil tone at her statement making her erupt into a giggle-fit again.

“Can you just be patient woman?”

“I am patient. But I need to know whether to dress up or dress down.”

“That’s easy Kagome. Dress middle.”

He cackled at his own joke and Kagome just closed her eyes and smiled wide at his amazing solution to the problem.

“Yea, I’ll do just that Kouga.” His cackles died down and his voice became low again.

“Will you?” he asked. Her breathing deepened and she felt a feeling in her stomach, butterflies perhaps? His question was totally innocent, but when he used that voice, it made anything sound sensual. Two could play at this game.

“Only for you” she replied in a girly, raspy voice. 

“Only for me, huh? Why?” he asked.

“Hmmm” she started, purposely moaning that ‘hmm’ out more than just saying it “maybe I think you deserve it.” 

If anyone saw the wicked smile touching his face right now without knowing how she was sounding, they’d say he was thinking perverted thoughts. They wouldn’t be lying either.   
Her voice was drawing him in. He was thinking of other ways he could make her sound like that. Snapping out of his thoughts quickly, he replied…

“Well, I’m glad.” A simple statement to ease the tension building up between phones.

“I’m glad you’re glad” she chirped.

They two talked a little bit more before Kagome noticed how raspy and low Kouga’s voice was getting. She knew this was the sleepy voice, and as much as she enjoyed hearing it, the both of them needed rest. Him because he’d been at work, and her because she needed to be to work at 1. 

“Well, I’m going to hit the sheets Kouga.”

A yawn from him let her know that he actually needed to as well. 

“Alright, Kagome. I’ll talk to you later?” He said so with clear inflection at the end of the statement to let her know he was asking.

“Of course” she said sweetly. The two told each other good night and Kagome climbed under her covers and shut her eyes. She was tired, but her mind wouldn’t let her rest. She was focused on her feelings for Kouga. 

‘So I actually have feelings, do I?’ she thought.

One more day until she’d see him again. What was confusing her were the physical reactions to him. She was an adult and knew exactly what those reactions were. Every time he’d let out a low chuckle, or he’d drop his voice to a low level, her body reacted quickly. Her heart pounded harder, her breathing deepened, and she felt butterflies in her stomach. If he could do that with just his voice, she imagined what he could do with his hands. She fell asleep that night thinking of some of the things those hands could do, and her sleep was once again, uninterrupted. 

888

Kouga was quickly falling into a deep sleep, but his mind lingered on Kagome. Her name was so smooth to say, and heavens knew he loved the way she said his. She was growing on him, and he didn’t care. Something about her was good. She had compassion for others, she had a great sense of humor, and she always knew the right things to say to him.   
He had yet to find a flaw in her. 

He could tell she liked his voice. Whenever he’d change it, hers would change too. ‘I could make her like it even more’ he thought. He didn’t want to think such thoughts about her so soon, but he couldn’t help himself. She had an innocence about her that turned him on, because he knew that the right words and touches would make it disappear. Then he thought ‘Is she a virgin?’ This was a big deal to a guy. Most guys at this age didn’t want to hook up with untouched women, because too much drama came with it. But something about Kagome told him that if she was, then she’d be different. 

One thing was for sure, he was falling for this woman. He’d never felt these feelings with girls before; these feelings of happiness and a content heart. Tomorrow was their date, and he could not wait to see her beautiful smile again.


	6. 6

She checked herself in the mirror on her bedroom door for the umpteenth time. Making sure her clothes had not one wrinkle, and that her hair was doing what it was supposed to. 

“I’m so nervous I think I’m going to explode” Kagome cried into the phone in a voice desperate for comfort.

“Kags, that would be unattractive” Sango responded in a bored tone. Kagome had called her about twenty minutes ago stressing an approaching nervous breakdown, and as much as Sango wanted to hang up the phone on her, friends are supposed to be there anytime they are needed. “Are you still in the mirror?” she asked.

“Yep, I have to make sure I look perfect. What if he thinks I’m no good? He’d never ask me for a second date again. Or what if he digs me and tries to kiss me tonight? Should I kiss on the first date? I mean, I am a grown woman, but do I want to seem easy? Or what if he doesn’t kiss me and expects me to kiss him first? Should I? Would he be upset and think I’m being a tease if I don’t? I wonder what would happen if I burped while eating, he would probably…”

“Enough!” Sango yelled. “Kagome Higurashi, you stop this and you stop it right now! Why are you being so insecure? You never worry this much about anything else.” Sango had had enough of her friend’s odd ‘what if’s.’ “And another thing, if your outfit didn’t look any different thirty seconds ago, then it doesn’t look any different now! Stop being so vain and just go relax in the living room and wait for him.”

Kagome whined pitifully. Sango was 100% correct. She was being insecure. Honestly, she wasn’t worried about her outfit or hair, or anything embarrassing she might do on this date. Her mind was drifting to the past when she was dating Inuyasha. He was the last guy she ever went out with, and needless to say she was afraid of going out again. But Kouga and Inuyasha were different, so she needed to treat this differently. This opportunity was one she needed to seize with that confidence she was so well known for. 

“I know Sango. You know what; I’m going to do just that. I will text you by the end of the night with either a ‘yea’ or ‘nay.’ Thanks for all the support hun.” The two said goodbye and Kagome eyed herself in the mirror one more time. It was mid-November, and the air was chilly tonight just as her friend said it would be. She decided to throw on a dark pair of jeans, short brown combat boots, and a fitting burgundy long t-shirt. The outfit accented her curves that you’d never guess were there in her scrubs. Her hair was in a ponytail at the nape of her neck, but she slung it over her shoulder and curled in at the ends so it had extra volume. Kagome wandered to her living room and sat on the couch and began to think about the night ahead. She should not be worrying about the past with…him. This was a night to enjoy what was going to be, not what had been. 

She suddenly found herself smiling when she heard a knock at her door. Kagome had given Kouga the apartment number earlier and he told her he would arrive at 7:00 pm, and it was seven on the dot. ‘Sexy and punctual’ she thought. She grabbed her small brown sling-over, and opened the door. If she wasn’t already smiling enough, the sight of him made sure she was. 

Kouga had on a long sleeved white t-shirt that outlined his toned chest, a leather jacket, and a dark pair of jeans. She basked in the sight before her. The only time she had seen him was when he was bleeding and bare-chested, and when he was in a hospital robe. So this was what he liked to wear?

“Hello Kagome” he smirked and said. He enjoyed the sight of her as well. Her body definitely was as nice as he imagined it to be. He was surprised how well the scrubs hid her from him. 

“Good evening Kouga” she smiled back. Oh yes, this night was going to be good. She stepped out closing the door behind her. “Shall we be on our way?” he held an arm out for her to grab on to. “Yes we shall” she said immediately and took his arm. The two made their way to the elevator and started up conversation about their day so far. Walking out of the complex, Kagome was expecting to see a car parked in the direction he was walking. What she saw made her laugh and say “oh…my…gosh.”  
He had a new motorcycle, and it was really nice looking. She saw the name Ninja on the side and wondered if that was an expensive brand because she didn’t know much about brands when it came to transportation. 

“So this is my new bike Kagome. Kagome, meet Kagome.” His hands gestured back and forth between his bike and his date and Kagome stared open-mouthed. “Please tell me you did not really name your bike after me!” she laughed out. Kouga sat down in the seat and turned to her and spoke. “There’s not much of a difference between you two.”

“What the heck” she said.

“She’s black, you have black hair. She’s fast, and you talk fast. She’s important to me, as you are to me as well. And I’m riding her, and maybe one day...” before he could finish that statement, Kagome interrupted “Oh don’t you dare finish that perverted sentence Kouga.” He responded in laughs and she walked over to stand by her ‘vehicular reincarnation.’ 

“So I sit behind you?” she pointed to the small raised area behind him where she believed she was supposed to sit. “Yes ma’am you do.” The bike was on its stand, so Kagome could easily throw her leg over and sit down. “I’ve never been on a motorcycle before Kouga” she said seriously. The idea of moving in something that had no doors scared her. 

Kouga looked over his shoulder at her with that famous cocky grin he always wore and replied. “Don’t worry Kagome. All you have to do is hang on to me and you’ll be okay.” With a nod and a smile, she moved her arms to his shoulders. When he fired up the bike, the purr was quite smooth. He kicked up the stand and Kagome squealed at the sudden imbalance, but of course he knew what he was doing. 

He was going to ask her if she was okay, but he was distracted when her hands abruptly moved from his shoulders to his mid-section. This was the best way for her to hang on to him if she was scared, and he grinned; there were no complaints. The speed he was driving was a medium one, but Kagome could have sworn he was doing a good 70 mph. He leaned forward and sped up even more down an emptier road, and Kagome was laughing and ‘whooping’ behind him. Her face was buried into the crook of his neck and she was clinging onto him for dear life, but she was enjoying this free feeling with him. Her thighs were clenched tightly to his sides, but he definitely did not mind. He was focused on how much fun it sounded like she was having, but was surprised when she leaned up to speak in his ear.

“Now I see why people own these” she spoke over the wind. He only smiled and reveled in her warm face against his neck. Kagome was enjoying the position as well. Whatever cologne he was wearing, it made him smell amazing, and even though she was hanging on to him to avoid falling off, she certainly noticed the feel of his rippling stomach under her hands. Soon before long, they arrived at their destination, and Kagome was equally impressed with the place he chose for dinner. 

‘Li’s Palace’ she thought. “I’ve never been here” she spoke softly. “I hear the food is expensive.”

Kouga shrugged and stilled the engine. “Me either. But a friend of mine works here and he said that it’s not too expensive.” Kagome unhitched herself from her hold on him, and stepped off the bike as he followed. “That was so much fun!” she stated excitedly. Kouga gazed at that smile she so beautifully presented; it was definitely wearing on him, and responded “I was worried you wouldn’t like it.” The couple stalked their way towards the entrance and kept talking about motorcycles when a male host interrupted them. “Table, booth, or bar?” 

“Booth” Kouga responded. Then he looked up quickly seeing who it was that spoke to him and his face brightened up again. “Bankotsu my man!” Said host looked back at the familiar voice and laughed “Kougaaaaaa!” The two slapped each other on the back and gave manly greetings as Kagome just watched with a small grin on her face. “Kagome” 

Kouga said quickly “this is the friend of mine that I said worked here.” Kagome inched forward and shook his hand. “Nice to meet you” she said sweetly. 

“I am delighted to finally meet you.” His statement left Kouga with a slight blush rising to his cheeks and he slapped Bankotsu on the back in a non-friendly way. He was not supposed to say that. Now Kagome would know that he’s been talking about her. She caught this statement and Kouga’s obvious embarrassment. ‘So he’s been telling his friends about me?’ The thought made her giddy on the inside, but she tried not to let it surface for her date’s sake. The two were led to a red and mahogany booth and sat opposite of each other.

“While I’m here, I can go ahead and get your drinks” Bankotsu said.

“Can I get uh, lemonade please?” Kouga asked

“Do you guys have hot tea?” Kagome asked. The cold bike ride and yelling left her throat a little dry.

“Yes we do, I’ll go get those for you.” And he was gone. They started back up on random conversation and were laughing at the other’s funny statements. Kouga was glad Kagome was comfortable with him, and Kagome was glad too. Something about the other person made them feel warm and familiar; as if they had known each other longer than just a week.

“You look great tonight” Kouga chimed. She tried to fight the blush she knew was rising to her face, and simply responded “Well I’m trying to keep up with you.” This earned a chuckle from Kouga and he decided to flirt back. “I think you’re already ahead Kagome.” 

Why did she love her name when it was spoken from his mouth? Tonight would be the night she let all of her current worries slip away, and focus in on the man in front of her.

888

Opera music was resonating through the empty hallways of the Taisho mansion irritating a certain younger Taisho brother. He didn’t quite understand why people listened to opera; the foreign words and high pitched wails were not exactly calming like people claimed, but his brother was definitely into it. The orchestra hurried into a dramatic break in the song, making Inuyasha even more nervous of what was about to happen. He was going to talk to Sesshomaru about his plans to postpone the wedding, and he knew it wasn’t going to go smoothly, but then again, when did anything ever go well with his asshole of a brother?  
When he arrived at the ajar door to the elder’s office, Inuyasha took a deep breath and walked in.

“Hey Sesshomaru, we need to talk.”

Said brother was sitting in his large blood red chair behind his sleek black desk with his eyes focused on an ancient looking book. When his idiot half-brother walked in interrupting his reading hour, he was not surprised and even more than displeased. He didn’t answer Inuyasha’s words, he only marked the page he was on and closed the artifact, gesturing Inuyasha to take the chair in front of the desk.

When Inuyasha sat, he immediately began his speech. “I’ve been thinking about it and I think I need to hold off on getting married to Kikyo.” The opera music was still playing, making the scene in the room look like a scene from a movie, and Inuyasha was about to get pissed off at his brother’s reaction. It was the fact that he never had a reaction that pissed him off! Inuyasha couldn’t remember the last time he saw Sesshomaru smile, laugh, smirk, anything! People always asked him how come the Taisho brothers were so opposite; Sesshomaru was the stoic, icy, intelligent elder brother, while Inuyasha was the hot-headed, loose-tongued younger brother. And Inuyasha’s response would always be a simple “we’re only half brothers.” When his brother still didn’t respond nor break his gaze, Inuyasha blew up.

“Say something! Anything! Are you even going to ask me why?”

Sesshomaru had to resist the inclination to roll his eyes. He did not want to say anything, and he already knew why. Inuyasha had always been the type to hop back and forth between people, especially women; he was an indecisive mess. When he discovered that he was dating Kikyo he disapproved, but never stressed his disapproval. When he was informed that they were engaged, he told Inuyasha that he was simply moving too fast for either of their own good. Of course as soon as the true statement left his mouth, his baka younger brother popped off at the mouth letting curses fly this way and the other. Sesshomaru simply responded by not responding at all. The day when Inuyasha would learn to speak to him with respect, then he would consider showing him some.

“Why” Sesshomaru asked in a flat voice. He already knew, but for entertainment…

“I-I still have some…things to settle with Kagome. And until those things are settled, I cannot marry Kikyo.” 

“By settling things do you mean sleeping with her?” Sesshomaru responded. This conversation was not going to go anywhere but down; might as well keep letting it fall. 

Inuyasha was taken aback by his brother’s insinuation and shouted “No! I have feelings for her still and I need to sort them out before marrying Kikyo!” At this, Sesshomaru shrugged and stood up to walk over to a cabinet on the wall. Pulling out a small glass and a bottle of whiskey, he spoke again “You should have sorted that out before proposing.”

Inuyasha scoffed and stood up to speak. “What would you know about relationships? When was the last time you even tried to get to know a woman other than just sleeping with her?”

Sesshomaru didn’t respond to this either. He detested when his brother would try to turn the conversation back on him, when it never had anything to do with him. This was Inuyasha’s way of substituting his distress, and it was quite pathetic and weak in his eyes. He turned his attention back to the younger when he saw that he was looking at him expecting him to answer. When he didn’t, Inuyasha spoke again.

“I don’t expect you to understand anything. Maybe it was wrong for me to propose so fast, but I don’t need your damn judgment. I was only coming in to ask you for a favor.” The elder raised his eyebrow at this statement, and said “You come into my office with your menopausal attitude, and expect a favor?” Inuyasha shouted again “Shut up and just listen!   
If Kikyo tries to ask you about my postponing the wedding, lie for me. Tell her it’s because of the expanding of the hospital grounds, and it requires a lot of time. She wouldn’t be happy about Kagome.”

Sesshomaru never lied, and a request from his temperamental half-brother was not going to change that. “Inuyasha, you should hope that Kikyo does not ask me about this situation at all. I will not cover your dirt. If you were a real man, you would admit your faults to both parties and stop trying to sneak around like an adolescent.” His tone was firm and patronizing. Those were the words that ignited the younger’s fuse. Slews of curses with shouting came from Inuyasha and resounded throughout the hallways of the quiet mansion. How dare he refuse to help? 

“It wouldn’t kill you to do something for me for once, Sesshomaru!”

“I’m well aware it would not.”

“You are a fucking asshole, you know that?”

“You constantly remind me.”

“Because it’s the truth! You think you’re better than me, but you’re not. And you never will be.”

This did not sit well with the elder whatsoever and he responded sternly. “I am in every way your superior. The sooner you realize that, the easier it will be for you to stop your meaningless verbal arguments in an attempt to one-up me. Grow up, Inuyasha.”

“Grow up?” he scoffed “Says the man that can’t live without his silver hair dye!” 

Sesshomaru let a slight smirk befall his lips and responded “See, there you go bringing irrelevant subjects into this discussion. When will you learn to argue like an adult and not a child? Father would not be proud to see the emotionally unstable son you’ve become. You’re nothing but a disappointment.” When he said this, Inuyasha’s expression changed from a harsh one to one of hurt. Sesshomaru always knew what buttons to push, didn’t he? The subjects of their childhood were things that neither brother liked to think about.

“Me, huh?” he began quietly “that would explain why he left you and your bitchy mother to be with mine?” That was the line that should have never been spoken. Sesshomaru laid the now empty glass on the desk and went over and grabbed Inuyasha by the neck. “How dare you!? You speak this nonsense in my office? Your mother was nothing but a whore that enjoyed being a home-wrecker. Father was a fool for sleeping with her, much less having a child with her. Now they’re all gone and I am stuck with you, you poor excuse for a person.” Inuyasha jerked his body suddenly, loosening himself from Sesshomaru’s grip. He lifted an arm to punch his older brother, but Sesshomaru quickly grabbed it and flung the fist and the brother down to the floor. When Inuyasha got back up to initiate a full out fight, a small voice was heard from the office door.

“Sesshomaru-sama?” the little voice spoke. All actions immediately ceased and Sesshomaru softened his expression and regained his composure. “Rin” he stated softly.

“Jaken just brought me home from my ballet lesson, and I wanted to let you know I was home” Rin spoke just as soft. Her chocolate eyes were glazed over; she looked like she was on the verge of tears. She hated when her new dad and uncle argued. The seven year old had heard Sesshomaru-sama say mean things to Uncle Inu before, but not like tonight. 

“Go ahead and take your bath, and I’ll be in your room later to read to you later Rin” Sesshomaru responded. He felt a very small pang of guilt at the child’s hurt expression. Damn Inuyasha for provoking him. “Yes, Sesshomaru-sama.” With that, Rin left the room quickly and scurried through the hallways to get to her room. Inuyasha turned around and looked at his brother; guilt was on his face as well. Before Inuyasha could say anything to stir another argument, Sesshomaru quickly and harshly responded

“Leave, now.”

With a quick scoff, Inuyasha left the office and stormed to his room. When he got there, he plopped down on his bed and buried his face in his hands. The conversation had not gone as planned, and even worse, they had scared Rin. It had been two years since her incident, but she was still slightly shaky at violent situations. Both brothers had agreed to try to be kinder to each other with the girl around. Inuyasha reflected on the first time he met Rin. She was five when she was brought into the ER with a bad injury to the temple.   
Her house had been broken into by cruel chain robbers, and before she could run away, one of the robbers knocked her out with a blunt instrument. A five year old! The situation automatically angered the younger Taisho brother, and the case had ended up hitting the news. The child was scared and would not calm down for anyone, and since Sesshomaru was CEO of the hospital, he had to make some PSA about how Edo hospital is taking good care of the child. But considering that the older brother hadn’t met the child yet, the speech was meaningless; the media bought the sincere speech anyway.   
Immediately following the speech, Sesshomaru went to the child’s hospital room to see her. She was a small girl with long brownish-black hair, and big brown eyes. Streaming out of those eyes were tears. Sesshomaru hated tears, especially from women. But this tiny girl had been through so much.

“Are you here to take me away?” she asked shakily.

Sesshomaru was intrigued by this, and went to sit at the chair beside her bed. “Take you where, Rin?” The child let more tears spill from her eyes and spoke in a horse voice.

“The men that came into our home killed my mom and dad. The police said that I would have to be put into a f-foster care place. I don’t want to go there.” The child began to cry harder but silently. He didn’t know why, but his heart ached to see such a young child go through so much. Both of his parents died when he was a teenager, and even though he would never admit it to a single soul, he spilled tears for his deceased parents. Sesshomaru had been forced to grow up fast from that point on, never really to enjoy a normal teenage life, whatever it was supposed to be.

To sum up the situation, he felt compassion for the girl. The adoption papers were singed and secured, and Rin became Inuyasha’s little niece. 

“Damn!” he cursed aloud. He needed to apologize for scaring her later, even though Sesshomaru provoked him. It seemed like he was making all the wrong moves lately, and it all started with Kagome. He should have never hurt her like he did. He slept with Kikyo and for what? To be unhappy in the end? Miroku’s words were running through his mind. Kagome was seeing someone else, but instead of discouraging him, this fired him up more than ever. She had felt something for him once, and he knew that it was still there. It had to be! He needed to see her soon. At this thought, he picked up his phone and began typing.

888

Kagome nearly choked on her food. If Kouga didn’t stop cracking her up, she would surely die.

“Kouga, I’m not trying to die on this date. Slow your roll on the jokes before I choke on my food.” Kouga laughed at her request. “Yes ma’am. But you’re the one that asked for an embarrassing story and I just told you. I swore I would never eat carrots again after that day.”  
Kagome giggled. This date was going perfectly. The jokes, the flirty words, the smiles, all of it. At some point in the night, Kagome had laid her hands on the table, and Kouga reached out to grab them. Before she asked what he was doing, he entwined his fingers with hers. They both looked at their hands together. She had small, nimble fingers and he had large surly hands, yet somehow they fit together perfectly. Needless to say, Kagome was really enjoying her night. 

They were both nearing the end of their meals, but decided to keep the conversation going. 

“Alright” he started “I have something I’ve been meaning to ask you.”

This statement made Kagome’s stomach jump. Words like those made her nervous, and apparently he noticed because he quickly added in “It’s nothing bad, I just want to know what are your thoughts on relationships?”  
Kagome let out a breath of relief and thought before she answered. “Be more specific.” Kouga lifted his eyes in thought and met hers again. “Well, are you opposed to them?”

Kagome cocked and eyebrow and lifted her chopsticks to point towards him and squinted her eyes. “You’re asking me this because I’m single?” she inquired. In return, he lifted his chopsticks and pointed back “Yes I am. I know how cliché this is going to sound but you are such a great woman and any guy would want you. But you’re single because?”  
Kagome lowered her eyes and began to think. Should she tell him? How would she explain to him that she had her heart broken before and was scared to be in a relationship, much less get close to any man at all? The only way to know his thoughts would be to answer.

“Well” Kagome started, lowering her eating utensils “a while ago, I was talking to this guy. We weren’t in a relationship but it felt like it. I ended up…falling for him. I loved him. And when I went to tell him, I caught him with another woman. So, after that I pretty much vowed to stay away from the dating scene for a while and not concern myself with trying for a relationship.”

The cat was out of the bag now. She was sure her answer would cause Kouga to question her on why she was there with him if she was afraid to date, but his response was quite different.

“Whoever he is, he’s an idiot” Kouga said calmly.

“Honestly, I feel like the idiot. I’m the one that fell for him” Kagome said with sadness in her voice. When she got no response, she raised her eyes and met his. There was a glimmer of compassion in his blue hues, and it comforted her more than words could. Under his gaze, she felt like he was reading into her. It made her slightly nervous, but it also sparked her curiosity.

“So, I’m going to go out on a whim here. You’re not in a relationship because they don’t really suit you” Kagome stated. It was supposed to be a question, but came out more as a declaration. 

Kouga sighed and sat back. She told him her business; it was only fair that he do the same in return. “Well” he began “you’re right. I have nothing against them, but they never really did suit me. I don’t know if it’s just relationships in general or the girls I chose.”

“Tell me about your last one” she requested. 

“I was twenty two. She was a nice girl that would come into the bar every Friday night with her friends. We ended up texting and it escalated into a relationship, but she was looking for love and marriage, and those weren’t top priority for me, so I broke it off.” He really hoped he didn’t sound insincere when he said that, but she wanted to know the truth.

Kagome only nodded her head in understanding and asked “Has your views on relationships changed?” Kouga leaned his head to the side slightly. He wanted to tell her no, but then he really studied her. Her lips here soft looking and plump, her skin looked so smooth, and her brown eyes studied him in curiosity. He did not want to believe that this one woman could change his views on relationships as a whole, but when she asked him that, he thought of how he would love to continue seeing her. That would eventually lead to a relationship, and instead of being turned off by the thought, he liked the idea of Kagome being his. 

“I’ll think about that and get back to you” he smirked. Kagome only smiled at him and continued holding his gaze. Eye contact was something she had never had a problem with growing up. When she met a challenge, she stared it in the face with determination. But with Kouga, she was only studying him, and he was letting her. She couldn’t escape how handsome he was; include that with his great personality and he seemed irresistible. She was going to ask him how he felt about her so far, but then her phone buzzed. The message she saw and who it was from made her run cold as if her veins were trickling in ice.

‘Hey Kagome. I wanted to say that I’m sorry for all that I’ve done to you in the past, and I want to make it up to you. Would dinner tomorrow night be alright? I’ll pick you up. –I.T.’

You ever heard of the ex-syndrome? The condition where every time someone is doing well and has moved on from their past lover, that lover pops back up in their life again.   
Any holiday there is, that same ex finds an excuse to text you. Birthday, the ex is texting. The syndrome is nothing to play with, and if you’re smart, you won’t fall for their traps.   
Kagome didn’t know whether to be angry, laugh, cry, nor did she know what to say; she just stared at her phone and read the message multiple times to make sure she wasn’t imagining it. ‘Is this really happening right now?’ she thought.

“Kagome?” Kouga asked “Is everything alright?” He noticed her warm expression change to dread when she looked at her phone, and he was immediately worried. Kagome didn’t look up from her phone, but answered that she was fine and there was nothing to worry about. Here she was, frozen in place over Inuyasha when she should be enjoying her date right in front of her. Finally putting the phone in her purse, she looked up to see Kouga still staring at her waiting for a real answer.

“It’s just someone from work. They want to have a…surprise meeting tomorrow, and I hate meetings.” That was not entirely a lie. Inuyasha was from work, and he did want to meet tomorrow. 

“Oh” he answered “well, I think we should be getting back now.” It was going on nine o clock, and even though he had nowhere else to be, Kagome’s expression screamed that she   
was bothered over something.

“Yea, okay” she responded disappointedly. He paid the bill and made their way back to the bike in silence, and Kagome hated it. To ease the tension, she stated “Okay, I’ll take over from here. Hand me the keys please.” Kouga laughed out a harsh ‘ha’ and azure eyes met chocolate in another deep visual embrace. “That…will never happen. No one drives my bike but me.”

Before getting on the bike Kagome bowed and replied “My apologies my liege.” Kouga laughed and smiled, remembering how he had called her liege on their little Wendy’s date.   
On the ride back to hers, she drifted into a quiet state again. Whatever had really appeared on that text message was worrying her greatly, and it was worrying him as well. His   
mind was also on the final act. What final act? The act where the guy walks the girl to the door and someone goes in for a kiss. He had been thinking about kissing her all night; every time she smiled. But he didn’t want to seem pushy. But she wouldn’t allow him to get that close to her if she didn’t secretly want to kiss as well, right? Kouga came to a conclusion, and smirked at his decision. 

His heart paced faster the closer they got to her apartment door. Stopping at the door, Kagome turned back around and smiled. 

“Kouga, tonight was great. Thank you so much for treating me.” She meant it to. She had needed to enjoy herself after all the stress she had been under; and the stress she was to go through soon. “Thank you for accepting. I’d like to take you out again sometime Kagome.”

Her breathing deepened then. The way he said her voice was…well…sensual. Before she could register what she was doing, she stepped closer; she was so close to his body. Heat radiated from him like a small sun, his cologne was permeating her senses, and the look of adoration and sensuality on his face was not doing her hormones any good. Good   
Kami she wanted to kiss him, and more. 

Kouga noticed her breaths deepen, now would be the perfect time. The hallway was quiet, and her close breathing on him was not helping his self control. She wanted it, and he wanted it to. She looked up at him, her lips right beneath his. 

“Are you trying to seduce me Miss Higurashi?” Kouga asked in rasp. Whether she was or not, something she was doing was turning him on in that moment.

“Is it working?” she asked lowly and sexily. She was sure her heart beat was echoing through the quiet hallway, and his gaze on her was no longer making her nervous. That feeling in her stomach came back, and she knew damn well it wasn’t butterflies. How did she feel such a strong physical pull to him? At that thought, Kagome closed her eyes readying herself for a kiss. Kouga knew he was going to regret what he was about to do, but he felt the need to tease her. He closed his eyes and hovered an inch above her soft lips. She opened her eyes wondering why he hadn’t kissed her yet, and before she could ask, he turned his head and planted a warm and soft kiss on her cheek.

“Goodnight Kagome.” With that, he left her standing there at her door. As he was walking down the hallway, she forced a laugh and responded “Ha, yea, goodnight Kouga” and she walked into her apartment. Closing the door quickly she let her impending blush finally surface, and she touched the spot on her cheek where he kissed. “What a tease! 

Ughhhhhhhhh!” She was laughing, but was honestly irritated. He was going to pay for that one. Did he plan that, or was it a spur in the moment thing? Kagome calmed down and began to think. ‘He was so close to me, and he looked like he wanted to kiss me. But maybe he went for the cheek to be a gentleman.’ She was going to be satisfied with that thought until the aroused side of her took over.

‘Maybe he was afraid that if he kissed me, he wouldn’t be able to stop himself from going further. And he would carry me in my room, strip me down and run his tongue over my body with that smirk he wears oh so well. Then he’d…’

Kagome slightly gasped at herself. When did she start thinking such thoughts so soon? She really needed to stop spending time around Miroku. With all those sexual thoughts running through her head, the light bulb finally glowed.

“That asshole teased me to get me like this!” Kagome concluded aloud. Oh, he was good. Revenge would be hers; two could play at this game of cat and mouse. 

888

When Kouga arrived back home, he was still wearing a rather smug expression on his face. He knew Kagome wanted more than just a kiss on the cheek, and even though it was a slow kiss, she had wanted more from him. He wasn’t ashamed to admit that he was turned on by how turned on she got from just being so close together; the woman had an effect on his emotions and his body. Definitely a dangerous combination to let any woman have. Yes, he was dying to taste her lips, but he delighted in the teasing. He loved to tease women, but now it was all about Kagome Higurashi. If he could get her to act like that from bare contact, he wondered what he could do if he actually kissed her like he wanted. 

Showering, his mind wandered over scenarios that might have happened had he kissed her on the lips. His favorite one kept playing in his mind. He would kiss her slowly and passionately, and she would speed it up in an attempt to taste all of him. He would pick her up and put her against the door, and kiss her neck while whispering his thoughts in her ear. She would moan and ask for more, and then he’d…

“Slow down” he spoke to himself, now getting out of the shower. Kouga was not about to torture himself like this. If he kept thinking like this, his ‘best friend’ was not going to let him sleep, and he’d hop on his bike and drive all the way back to Kagome’s to make these fantasies reality. He dressed in sweat pants and no shirt, untying his hair and letting it fall. When he lay down, he checked his cell phone for any alerts, and the message he saw made his ‘best friend’ slightly come to attention.

‘You have no idea how w.. I am right now ;) I wish you were over here to fix that. –Kagome’

He chuckled and let out a breath. So it had worked. The ‘w’ in the message could only mean one thing in this instance.

‘You’re driving me crazy Kagome. If I was over there right now… -K.C.’

It was a joke. Kagome had only sent that message to mess with him; to make him regret his teasing her, but his response was going to make the joke on her. 

‘If you were over here right now then what? –Kagome’

‘I’ll leave that to your imagination. –K.C.’

‘You enjoy teasing me don’t you Kouga? –Kagome’

‘Kagome, this isn’t even close to the ways I want to tease you. –K.C.’

‘Then tell me a closer way Kouga. –Kagome’

‘Oh, Kagome. I like to show more than tell. Maybe one day you’ll be a witness. –K.C.’

‘Oh, Kouga. Smh. How did I let you get to me? –Kagome’

She meant more than in a physical sense. She liked him, she knew it for sure. He was genuine and strong-willed. Determination was a trait she liked to see in others, and Kouga presented it so well. 

‘I should be asking you the same thing. –K.C.’

‘I’ve gotten to you? –Kagome’

‘You’re getting there, and I’m being completely honest. I like you Kagome. –K.C.’

Her smile brightened even more, illuminating the dark bedroom around her. So he liked her, and she liked him. Where would they go from here?

‘I like you too Kouga. It’s strange because we haven’t known each other long. –Kagome’

‘I was thinking the same thing. Then I realized that it doesn’t matter. You’re a great woman, and I’d love to continue to see you, if you’d allow it. –K.C.’

‘Of course I would love to –Kagome’

The conversation eased out of the sexual field and moved on to a normal one. They were clearly flirting still, but it was healthy flirting. So she had found a guy she liked, and he felt the same. Kagome could see this dating going somewhere else; a relationship perhaps? And then realization suddenly dawned on her…

Inuyasha…

She never replied to his message, and she needed to. How ironic is it that she’s seeing someone else and he spontaneously pops back into her life. Then she began to worry. It had been months before Kagome was thinking about a relationship with Inuyasha, and that obviously didn’t work out in her favor. Now it had only been a week, and Kagome was thinking of a relationship with Kouga! No! She could not allow herself to move too fast again. But why should she deny herself happiness because of one unsure guy? Kagome text the bi-polar ex back with…

‘I’m seeing someone else. Please don’t ask me again. –Kagome’

A few moments later…

‘Took you long enough Kags. What have you been up to? –I.T.’

‘Did you completely ignore my answer? –Kagome’ 

‘What does me asking what you’ve been up to have to do with you saying no? –I.T.’

‘I said I was seeing someone else. There is literally no reason for you to continue texting me. –Kagome’

‘Are you sure? I only wanted to make it up to you by treating you to dinner. Come on, you know you want to. –I.T.’

What the fuck is this? He sounded like SpongeBob trying to convince her to eat crabby patties. This was pathetic. She didn’t need, nor did she want any selfish apology from him. There was obviously some ulterior motive in the mix, and she wasn’t buying anymore of his shit. 

‘Inuyasha Taisho, I do NOT want to go out to dinner with you. I do NOT need your insincere ass apology. I do NOT care that you feel bad about what you did. I will NOT ever go out to dinner or anywhere with you ever again. And I will NOT tolerate you texting me. I have no desire to associate with you whatsoever. Have a good night and a great life. –Kagome’

She smiled to herself in pride. She finally had a small chance to tell him off, and she took it. It felt wonderful to reject him. It did not take him long to reply a simple…

‘Fine. It’s only fair. –I.T.’

She scoffed. Of course it was only fair. Inuyasha would never have her heart again, and she wasn’t going to fall for a dinner date just so he could apologize. He could have called her on the phone and done that. She had to focus on the fine things before, and by that she meant Kouga of course. It was funny how she was already claiming him. She partly told Inuyasha she was seeing someone else to knock his spirits down even further, so he wouldn’t try to woo her again, but another part of her already felt like she was with Kouga. She needed to get a grip and fast.

Kagome closed her eyes and let sleep chase her to unconsciousness. She would try this again; she’d give Kouga a change. Just because she was hurt in the past didn’t mean that she couldn’t try again in the future. If everyone gave up after their first failure the world would be a horrible place, and living in fear is not living at all. Kagome was ready to give Kouga something that she’d never thought she could give a man again.

Her trust.


	7. 7

            It was a clear Saturday night in Tokyo. The downtown area was bustling with people trying to enjoy their weekend, and forget the hardships of their week; focusing on the beauty that is downtown Tokyo. All the towering buildings and lights made it easy to forget what was wrong, and easier to remember what was right. Inuyasha had always found the area, as busy as it was, comforting; he could think here. So why was tonight any different? Because he was about to drop the bomb on Kikyo, that’s why. He had invited her out for dinner at one of their favorite restaurants, because food always eases tension, right? He was sitting at a table looking out over the area through a large window. Any moment Kikyo would come in and he’d work his way up to the breaking point. But it wasn’t a break up, just a postponement. However one would put it, it was not going to go well. He had always had a sixth sense about things like this.

She sauntered in wearing knee high black boots and jeans with a red half top under a black blazer. Kikyo was beautiful in his eyes, and it only made him feel worse for what he was going to do.

“Good evening love” she said in her sultry voice. Bending down to kiss him on the lips slowly, she turned and whispered in his ear “If you can guess what color underwear I’m wearing then I’ll let you take them off” she giggled.

Inuyasha knew she was only messing with him; hopefully. He really didn’t want this night to go like “hey we need to hold off on getting married, but I’ll still fuck you tonight though.” That’s not how it needed to go at all. So instead of advancing on her advances, he changed the subject to something less smutty.

“What have you been up to?” he asked impassively. Not that he really cared, but the conversation needed to go elsewhere.

“Oh you know the usual. Talking to the girls, getting ready for our wedding” she sang. “and trying to decide what to pack for the honeymoon. Speaking of that, you have not told me where we’re going, and you know I’m not a surprise person.”

‘Damnit!’ he thought. Here she was talking about their honeymoon, which was also supposed to be in a couple weeks like the wedding, and she was sounding enthusiastic about it! When did she ever show enthusiasm? Before he could respond, their waiter bought them their wine and food. They had been here so many times; the people knew what they liked, so they just brought it out. Nodding to the man in thanks, Inuyasha immediately began to stuff his mouth in hopes of avoiding conversation. What the hell was he doing? He invited her out to talk, and now he was too nervous to say anything. Kikyo noticed his uneasiness and fast eating when she spoke “Is there something wrong Inuyasha?” she spoke lowly.

He needed to say it now. ‘Don’t think, just do. Say it like how we practiced’ he inwardly chanted. Honestly, it was now or never.

“Kikyo, due to the fact that Sesshomaru has decided on the sudden expansion of our grounds, there is a lot of work to be done. He’ll be so wrapped up with the constructors that his paperwork will fall over to me. I think it’s best if we postpone the wedding for a while so I can get all of this mess out of the way.” There, it was out! His heart hammered at his chest waiting on her answer. He hoped that didn’t sound too over-rehearsed, but when he looked up to meet her eyes, instead of anger, he only saw her unreadable face. ‘Oh no’ he thought. This cannot be good.

A long time went by before Kikyo answered. After Inuyasha’s speech, she only looked back down to her meal and continued eating, and Inuyasha was growing restless. He had a bad habit of lashing out when people took too long to answer, but he held himself back; pressing the issue would only make how she was feeling worse. Kikyo was trying to use her power of deduction on the matter. How much work could there possibly be that he’d have to move their wedding to another date? And how long is a while? His speech sounded like it had been practiced, but that could only mean one of two things. Either he was really trying to deliver the news in the right way, or he was lying. Kikyo didn’t want to believe he was lying, but it was so unlike him to let Sesshomaru interfere with his plans. When Inuyasha wanted something, he’d get it; despite his half-brother’s say-so.

So, if he really loved her, then he would not let this interfere either. There have been bigger hospital projects that required Inuyasha’s time, yet he still found ways to spend time with her. It wasn’t as if he’d have to be out there with a jackhammer himself, so she figured he was lying. About what though? What was he doing that he needed to keep from her?

“How long is a while?” she spoke promptly. Her sudden statement pulled the male fiancé out of his thoughts.

“I haven’t decided yet.”

“So it is indefinite. You do understand that now I have to” she sighed “call everyone that is attending and inform them that the wedding has been postponed indefinitely; after all this hard work and anticipation.” Clearly, Kikyo was not a happy woman.

“Keh, why don’t you get the wedding planner to do all of that? You’ve spent enough time working on the wedding; give yourself a break.”

“Inuyasha!” she snapped “this is not some party that can be rescheduled at any time. This is _our_ wedding; the special union of our love.” Her tone was undoubtedly hurt, and Inuyasha prayed to the kamis that she would not start crying.

“Kikyo, baby, I know, but everything that’s happening all at once is going to mess with our wedding _and_ honeymoon schedule. I don’t want this either, but we have to do it.” He had never lied to her like this before. Everything that was pouring out of his mouth was a practiced fib, and he was feeling guilty. He could never tell her the real reason. That he’s confused and can’t decide where his heart is, so he doesn’t want to get married. It would break her heart.

It wasn’t the rescheduling and phone calls that was upsetting her; not even the so called postponing of the union of their love. She could never tell him the truth, it would ruin everything. For the past few days after her last liaison with Naraku, she had been thinking. Naraku Onigumo was the worst thing for her. She had let her lustful and sinful nature interfere with something that was actually good for her, and that good thing was Inuyasha. He actually cared about her and took care of her; meanwhile Naraku had territorial issues and didn’t really love her at all. He loved the power he held over her. She decided that she would leave him alone, and she wanted to get married as soon as possible to get away from him. She’d move in with Inuyasha, which Naraku didn’t know the location of his home, and she would be free. Now here Inuyasha was postponing their wedding. Telling him the truth would destroy his trust in her.

“Alright” she said sadly “I understand honey. Just know that I’m anticipating the day that I can officially call you my husband” she said. She meant that, but for her own selfish reasons.

“So, you’re okay with this?” he asked with a hint of surprise in his voice.

“No. But will that change anything?” Kikyo responded quickly.

“I’m sorry Kikyo” he responded. The two continued their meal in silence. When both were done, Inuyasha paid the bill and he left her sitting there. The look on her face was gnawing away at him; because he was lying to her. As he got in his car it let out a held in breath. This was what he wanted. This would give him time to figure out his feelings with Kagome. He felt even guiltier that he wanted Kagome to return the feelings, because that would mean he’d call it off with Kikyo. Maybe Miroku was right. This was a bad idea, but the thought of Kagome still feeling the same drove his doubts away; so Inuyasha sped off trying to decide if he still wanted to mean something in Kagome’s heart.

888

“So, yea. That’s pretty much what happened.” Higurashi inhaled several breaths from her long winded synopsis of Friday night. She didn’t leave out a single detail, not even how Kouga had been making her feel. Girls could discuss topics like that without it being awkward; Sango would tell her some of the same things about Miroku.

“Wow. Just wow. I don’t know where to start” Sango spoke in awe.

“Well you better think of something quick, because our lunch break is almost up” Kagome mumbled.

“Well” Sango began with a heavy breath “I think Kouga is a good match for you. He treated to well like a gentleman should, but I’m still like ‘whoa’ at the whole kiss situation. Like, that’s just some major teasing right there. And then the text messages! Oh gosh, way to get a woman riled up. But other than me approving of your date, I approve of your response to Inuyasha. That asshole! He’s so full of waste!”

Kagome laughed at her friend’s last statement. In other words he’s so full of shit; that was a well known fact. “I was just as mad as you are now, but like I said, I handled it.”

“And I am so glad. I’m sure Kikyo wouldn’t approve of his request for a dinner date. That prick! I need to persuade Miroku to stop hanging out with him before his stupidity rubs off on him.” Both girls laughed and made their way out of the cafeteria to their posts of duty. It was a Tuesday that both ladies worked, and that gave Kagome the perfect time to tell Sango everything about Friday. Since that night, Kouga had made a habit of texting her good morning and goodnight, checking in on her throughout the day, sending random funny pictures that pertained to a random conversation they had before, and just yesterday he told her that he couldn’t wait to take her out again. Kagome was feeling spoiled, but she thought it was well deserved.

“But really, I’m going to talk to Miroku tonight to see if he knows what Inu- _baka_ is up to.”

“Oh Sango don’t even entertain it. I don’t really care what he’s up to because I’m occupied with someone else. And if I may say so myself, that someone else is much better than Inuyasha will ever be” Kagome preached. Truthfully, she was a bit curious as to why Inuyasha would text her all of a sudden, especially when she was just telling Miroku and Sango about her dating plans last week. She didn’t think Miroku would initiate anything petty, but friends will take their friend’s secrets to the grave; even if it meant an early one.

“You’ve definitely fallen for him Kagome” Sango cooed.

A blush rose to Kagome’s cheeks along with a shy smile when she asked “And how are you so sure hmm missy?”

“That” Sango said while pointing out her friend’s blush, which only made her blush harder. She was so glad to see her friend happy again. There was no need to spend a life being bitter over one idiot’s mistake.

The work day went by smoothly for Kagome, and she found herself humming and being extra merry on the job. Her co-workers noticed, and had wondered what got into her coffee. Lately, she had been in an increasingly positive mood at work, and it was wearing on others as well. Kagome couldn’t wait to get off work and text him. Kouga didn’t have to work, and he said he wanted to have another ‘infamous phone debate’ tonight, and she didn’t object. When her shift was over, she damn near pranced out the hospital doors to her car. Something about him made every part of her light and happy, and there were no complaints on her part. She could definitely see herself taking the next step with him. It amazed her that only a couple weeks ago she was all for being single, but now her opinion had completely changed; which was a great thing. There was no sense in being caught up in the past with that…idiot…standing…by…her…car…

‘What in all hells?’ Kagome asked herself. Why the _hell_ was Inuyasha by her car!? He did not want to give up did he? She stopped a small distance away and glared at him; whatever he was up to, she’d slap him. ‘No, no Kagome. We don’t want to get fired’ she calmed herself.

“Good evening Kagome” he spoke sweetly. It made her head throb in aggravation and confusion.

“Good evening Mr. Taisho” Kagome responded dryly. She needed some Tylenol.

“No need for the formalities, we are close you know?” Taisho spoke confidently.

“Were. We were. Past tense, get it right” she said smartly. Was he asking for a bitch slap? She was beginning to think of other places she could use her medical degrees, because if he kept looking at her with that stupid smirk on his face, she’d be getting fired tonight for sure.

“We were, but I still think we can be now. The only person stopping that is you.”

Kagome didn’t, NO, _couldn’t_ respond right away. There were paragraphs of ‘fuck off’s and fuck you’s and get the fuck on’s and who the fuck do you think you are’s’ just waiting to pour out of her mouth. Even though the strings of curses she had ready for him would make her feel much better, she would not allow herself to be deterred from her positive aura because of him.

“Why are you doing this?” she asked slowly. She needed answers then and there. Kagome didn’t want to have this conversation any other time. Hell, she didn’t want to have it now!

“Because I still care about you Kagome. I know you must think I’m an insensitive jerk that has no heart…” before he could continue, Kagome interrupted “You are accurate in your assumption.” Inuyasha overlooked her smart ass statement; he knew she wasn’t going to be easy to persuade. “I want to make things right between us. We left off on a bad foot, and I was hoping that you’d let me take you out to dinner to make up for it.”

The thought of dinner with Inuyasha Dumbass Taisho made her heart beat quicken in negative anxiety; what was wrong with him? The severity of what he said was beginning to dawn on her. Did he just say he still cared about her? Kagome suddenly squinted her face in obvious confusion, and began to look to her left and right as if she was asking someone if they had heard what she heard. Inuyasha was becoming wary of her stubbornness.

“Where is your fiancé? You know, Kikyo! Are you two not getting married anymore?” She was patronizing him, and it was getting on his nerves. How was he supposed to convince a woman as stubborn as her? Oh yea, lie.

“No we’re not. Please don’t go telling the whole world.” When did he become such an excessive liar?

“Oh believe me the details of your love life don’t interest me enough to go telling the whole world. You don’t mean anything to me anymore for me to do that, or for me to feel sorry for you. When you get into things fast, they will end fast. Serves you right Inuyasha.” Kagome crossed her arms over her chest showing her true irritation. She could have been on the interstate by now, on her way home to talk to Kouga.

Inuyasha stepped away from her car and began walking towards her until he stopped right in front of her; too close for Kagome’s liking. But she wasn’t going to budge or stand down; she was going to look him straight in the eye. This was why Inuyasha liked her so much; that confidence she exerted challenged his own, and it excited him. Opposed to Kikyo who wore indifference all the time like she was the founder of the word.

“I’ve missed your feistiness Kagome. It’s a shame that you’re wasting it on some new guy.” Inuyasha regretted the words as soon as they flew out of his mouth. He probably should not have said that. Noticing the angry blush rising to her cheeks, he re-confirmed his conclusion; he definitely should not have said that.

“You are pathetic Inuyasha. You can’t even tell how desperate you look and sound because you’re so persistent.”

“I like to call it over-confidence” he said smartly.

“There isn’t much difference between over-confidence and stupidity Mr. Taisho.” She was becoming intimidating now. “There’s a fine line between the two, and sensible people can actually see that line and know not to cross it. However, there will always be those that are blind” she said disappointedly, but in a matter-of-fact tone. Kagome 1, Inuyasha 0.

“Miroku said you’ve found someone else. Someone new.”

“And that’s when you decided to be an unjustly jealous employer and hop into my life again as if you still have a place here? I’m worried about your mental health. Don’t concern yourself with who I’m with.” She was starting to walk off and Inuyasha moved to obstruct her path; he wasn’t done talking yet.

“Kagome, I know you loved me. I’m sorry I lied to you. I’m sorry I waited too long to realize what a great girl you are, and I just wanted to be a gentleman and say I’m sorry.” Kagome assumed that when he said ‘say he was sorry’ he was still implying the dinner date. This needed to stop.

“You are correct. I _loved_ you. I’m sure you are sorry you lied. I’m not sorry that you waited this long to realize what a great _woman_ I am, and you have finally apologized to my face and I accept the apology; whatever the reason behind it is, I’ll accept it. You’re mission is completed so what more do you want from me Inuyasha? If it rhymes with sinner then the answer is no.”

Inuyasha grinned at her boldness; this was something he’d never get from Kikyo. “This wasn’t how I wanted to make it up to you.”

“I don’t give a damn how _you_ _wanted_ to make it up to me; it has already been done now. Good bye.” She turned and trotted off, shooting him a look that screamed ‘I dare you to stop me’ and got in her car. She immediately pulled off leaving a smiling Inuyasha in his place; in more ways than one. Why was he smiling? Because he loved a challenge of course. Her fire did nothing but fuel his along, and even though he told Miroku he wouldn’t interfere, he decided that it was appropriate to go back on his word. If only for Kagome’s affections.

888

“Stop…cheating!” Hakkaku growled in irritation from defeat. This was getting on his nerves.

“How many times do I have to tell you” Ginta started “I don’t cheat. You just suck _that_ bad.” He pointed to the screen watching the replays of the fight scene. Hakkaku huffed and responded “I know you look up those cheat codes before we start playing.” Ginta, apparently offended by his friend’s assumption argued back, “Just admit it. You suck!” The two started going back and forth, talking while the other was talking, forming a mass of incoherent statements.

“Shut the hell up, the both of you” Kouga groaned. They did this every time they’d come over to play Xbox. Hakkaku would lose, and Ginta would rub it in. Okay…so Hakkaku really did suck, but does it matter? Tekken is only Tekken.

“Besides” Kouga continued “both of you suck compared to me.” The boys laughed and the arguing started up again, only this time it included Kouga. It was game night at his place. They’d meet up and talk about what was going on in life over some alcohol and Xbox, a horrible combination, and it would always end up with Hakkaku drinking out his sorrows of repeated loss.

“Whatever man!” Ginta dished out. “You said you were going to tell us about that date with that pretty nurse. What was her name? Oh yea, Kagome.”

“Yea, spill. We know something happened” Hakkaku slurred. Oh shit, he was starting to slur.

Kouga gave an impish expression and asked “What makes you think something happened?”

“That look you have on your face” Ginta pointed out. He knew how his best friend was with the ladies, but Kouga wasn’t a kiss-and-tell kind of guy. Somehow, he and Hakkaku would just _know_ when he got a girl in bed.

“Nothing wild happened”

“Not yet” Hakkaku drawled out. Kouga slightly frowned; he needed to get the drinks away from his friend.

“She looked great. She loved the bike. Dinner was great. And I only kissed her on the cheek” Kouga spilled. That was an extremely condensed description of Friday night.

Both boys looked at him with impressed stares. “What!” Kouga bit out. Those looks were annoying him.

“A kiss on the cheek? That’s got to be a new record for you” Hakkaku laughed out with a quick burp, making all three laugh.

“Hey! What are you trying to say?” Kouga asked with a large grin on his face. He knew what they were implying.

“If she’s pretty and into you, you get in her jeans. So why was Kagome any different?” Ginta asked.

Kouga paused and searched for the right words. Guys never liked to seem mushy in front of their friends. How could he explain that he adored her? Everything about her made him smile. His heart beat increased when she’d smile and laugh. Of course, there is no manly way to put any of that, so he decided to keep it simple.

“She’s a great woman. I didn’t want to rush it with her.”

This seemed to be a good enough answer for the boys because they went back to playing the game and cursing. Kagome would be texting him any moment now, and he was anticipating it. He cackled while watching Hakkaku get even more drunk and aggravated, and when his phone chimed, he immediately checked to see who it was. The name left him disappointed.

_‘Hey Kouga!!! I’m going to be really busy Friday night and I was wondering if you could cover my shift. Just this once pretty please_ _J_ _. –Seri B.’_

He had planned on taking Kagome out again Friday, but there was also Saturday and Sunday.

_‘Yea I can. –K.C.’_

_‘Oh thank you, thank you, thank you!!! I really appreciate it. –Seri B.’_

_‘You’re welcome. –K.C.’_

_‘So how have you been?_ _J_ _-Seri B.’_

No. Just no. He did not want to make conversation with Seri. He wasn’t dumb; he knew how she felt about him. He only had two options: text back or don’t. He chose not to, and if she ever complained about him not texting back, he’d lie and tell her he was busy. Wait…nah. There’s no sense in lying; he’d just straight up be honest and say he didn’t feel like talking. Not to her anyway, because soon his phone began ringing with a certain nurse’s name on it.

“Hello Kagome” he said happily. The voice he’d been waiting to hear all day was finally in his ears. Kagome heard laughter and cursing in the back and simply asked “Xbox night?”

Kouga laughed “It’s Tuesday isn’t it? How was your day?”

The two continued nice chit-chat for a little while. Soon the guys left finally giving Kouga some phone privacy.

“I’ve been thinking about you all day” he said sweetly.

“Hmm, what have you been thinking about?” Kagome asked innocently, but with non-innocent intentions.

“Just our date and where I want to take you out this weekend. Saturday or Sunday? Which one’s better?”

“Saturday will do. I have to work Sunday.” Kagome was smiling like crazy; she reveled in the thought of being with him again. The wind whipping through her hair while she clung to him on his bike; it was all so enchanting to her now.

“Alright then” Kouga said cockily. This time, there would not be a little kiss on the cheek. He needed to redeem himself for teasing her, and the only sensible redemption he could think of was giving her the real thing. Kouga could hardly wait; he wanted to feel her lips against his in a slow embrace.

Conversation continued until Kagome got too sleepy to think. Kouga told her good night and let her go. He got up and took a shower, and found his way to his own bed. Flicking on the flat screen in the room, he let his mind wander for another countless time.

His feelings for her grew every day, every moment they would text, every time he heard her voice, and every time he would think about her. He wasn’t going to lie; this woman had a hold on him already. Kagome made him feel so content, as if he was a puzzle and she was the piece that had been absent. Like he always told himself, when the right one came along, he would know. And lately, he had been sensing that Kagome was going to mean more to him than he originally planned. Ever since she came in his hospital room after stitches that morning, she radiated a certain vibe that called to his. Her quick retorts to his simple and irritating questions showed that she had toughness about her.

He wondered what she thought of him, and made a note to ask her that next time he saw her. Whatever she was doing to him, it was surely working, and it was working fast. Kouga drifted off with the TV still on, thinking of how great it would be to have her laying with him at that exact moment.


	8. 8

 

            She lay in his arms with a satisfied grin on her face; on his as well. They had both needed this moment; work was becoming increasingly demanding, and although both loved their occupation, they were still human beings. They needed to have alone time.

“Sango, do I ever tell you how beautiful you are?” Miroku cooed in his low voice. She giggled and answered “Only every day.” Even though they had been dating for quite a while, they were still head over heels for one another. Little compliments from him still made her heart jump in happiness.

They lay under her sheets, naked as the day they were born. Both had been feeling stressed and missing each other throughout the week, and Miroku decided to swing by and ‘surprise’ her. He gazed down at her, watching her drift into a comfortable sleep. She was stunning in his eyes, and he told her every time it crossed his mind. There was no woman that had ever made him feel this happy or wanted than Sango herself. He was letting his own eyes close when he suddenly felt her tense and sit up quickly from her position.

“Miroku, I’ve been meaning to tell you something” Sango said urgently. ‘Oh goodness’ he thought. Was she pregnant? Finally!? He would be the happiest man alive if so.

“Tell me my love.”

“When Kagome went on her date with Kouga, Inuyasha texted her that night. He said he wanted to apologize for everything that he did in the past; over dinner. She declined of course, but I wanted to know if you had anything to do with it.”

Miroku’s face slowly morphed from happiness to dread the more Sango spoke of his idiotic friend. The bastard said he wouldn’t push it; so why the hell was he asking Kagome out for dinner? His expression presented Sango with the answer to her question. So he did have something to do with it.

“What…did you do Miroku?” she said with underlying anger in her tone. Miroku quickly told her about their beer date at Romie’s, and about Inuyasha’s plan to woo Kagome, and his postponing of his marriage to Kikyo. As he spoke, anger was becoming apparent on his girlfriend’s face. He hated to see negativity mar her beautiful features.

“You need to tell Kagome. You need to tell her about this stupid plan he made up, and you need to tell your best friend to knock it off before I knock some sense into his senseless…”

“Sango!” Miroku stopped her “I’ve already told him what a terrible idea it was, all I said was that he should apologize to her. Not ask her out! Stop looking at me like I’m responsible. I had no clue he was going to do that.” Sango just looked at her boyfriend and let her face soften. Lying back down on his chest she spoke softly “You still need to tell Kagome. I didn’t mean to sound like I was blaming you. Forgive me?” Miroku could never stay mad at the love of his life; he wasn’t even mad to begin with. “You are forgiven, and if you insist, I will tell Kagome. But I don’t think that’s going to do anything but upset her even more.”

“It doesn’t matter; she needs to know.”

“Should I call her now?”

Sango smiled at her boyfriend’s question and said “I told you earlier, she’s on a date.” Miroku smiled too and decided he would tell her tomorrow after work; they were going to let Kagome enjoy her night.

888

“Oh my gosh...I cannot deal with this!” Kagome squealed. Kouga wasn’t doing anything but laughing at her squeamishness.

“Kagome” he whispered in her ear “how do you work in a hospital and still get scared over this kind of stuff. It’s fake!”

“I don’t see stuff like this Kouga!” she whispered back. It was his terribly wonderful idea to take her to see a horror-gore film. Kagome liked the movie; it was interesting and well done, but she never thought she’d be seeing the things she was seeing now. There were body parts strewn all over a dirty warehouse room, and screaming men and women. Why were they screaming? Because the body parts decorating the room were theirs, that’s why. One man’s foot got chopped off and Kagome squealed again and jumped into Kouga’s waiting arms.  

Taking a girl to a scary movie was never a bad idea; it always worked out in the guy’s favor. The movie was getting close to ending, and all the gore taking place was supposed to be the grand finale. People all across the theatre were jumping and making sounds of displeasure and disgust at the screen before them. Kouga just sat there and smiled; Kagome’s reactions were priceless. All the men and women in the room were dead; either from blood loss or decapitation. The psychotic killer was inches away from chopping off the seven year old boy’s head, and everyone in the theatre was tensed up. The closer the killer got, the harder Kagome squeezed him.

Mere inches away, the bush cutters would go snap when the child’s head was severed, and just when it was about to happen… The screen jumped to the seven year old boy waking up in his room. He was wheezing and sweaty, from an apparent nightmare. Turns out it was all a horrible dream. The credits came on and the audience laughed and expressed more displeasure at how the movie turned out.

“I paid all this money to come see a dream?” Kouga laughed out with an incredulous look on his face. Kagome was smiling with an open mouth from shock. “Apparently you did sir” she responded, and burst into laughter. The pair exited the theatre and began walking towards the outside. It was another chilly night in the city, and both dressed for the occasion. Kagome kept glancing at Kouga in his black boots, grey jeans, and black pullover. She wondered what he would look like with his hair down.

“Why do you never wear your hair down Kouga?” Kagome asked while they stepped into the chill of the night.

“I do. In the privacy of my dojo.” Kouga grinned when he saw Kagome’s annoyed expression.

“I mean, why do you never wear it down in public?”

He paused for a moment and answered “I don’t really like how I look with it down.”

“Then why don’t you cut it. Which you shouldn’t but I’m just saying.”

“I don’t want to cut it either. The only solution is to keep it in a ponytail.” He bent over and began swinging it around in a circle making Kagome burst out in giggles. They got back on the bike, and pulled off.

“Where are we off to now?” she shouted in his ear.

“I wanted to take you to my favorite coffee place” he answered.

The air was brisk against his face, but his neck and rest of his body was warm because of the beautiful woman hanging on to him. The lights of the city shined bright, making this ride all the more romantic. The coffee shop wasn’t too far from the theatre, so they got there quicker than Kagome expected. Getting off she stated “I heard this place has local bands perform here sometimes.”

It was funny she mentioned that, because it was Saturday night, and that meant local band night. They walked in and were immediately greeted with warm air and a chill environment. There was a small band up on the state performing, and there were people sitting at tables swaying along with the music. Walking up to the counter, a man turned around and recognized one of his loyal customers.

“Kouga Friggen Convel. It’s been a while my man.”

“I know; I hardly come on this side of the city anymore” he answered. “Kagome, this is Nobunaga, owner of this place.” The owner took Kagome’s hand and shook it. “She’s a beauty Kouga.” This made Kagome blush, and she continued to do so when Kouga responded “Yea isn’t she.”

He ordered his usual beverage, and Kagome had to take a minute to make up her mind. She stood looking at the menu on the wall giving Kouga the perfect moment to study her. She was wearing short black boots, almost resembling his, dark jeans, a black bomber, and a cheetah-print scarf. Her hair was how it always was; a long ponytail at the nape of her neck; she was truly a sight to see. She finally decided what she wanted and turned to Kouga.

“Why are you staring at me?” she asked quietly.

“Staring is such a harsh word. I’m only admiring you” he said with authority. Kagome laughed and held his gaze again. They did this a lot. Neither one of them found it awkward to make so much eye contact, and Kagome liked looking at his blue orbs. There was kindness and mischievousness in them. Nobunaga popped back up with their drinks and noticed the hardcore eye action happening in front of his counter and cleared his throat, drawing their attention back to him.

“I didn’t mean to interrupt the visual rape going on just now, but I have your drinks.” Kouga just grinned at his friend, and Kagome beamed a high bright smile at that statement. She wasn’t raping him with her eyes, was she? He did look impossibly handsome tonight; hopefully she wasn’t being too obvious in her visual assault. Kouga suggested they sit down and listen to the band play for a bit. The dim lights and good vibe in the area made her feel light and care-free; she always felt that way with him wherever they were.

“Why don’t you like wearing your hair down?” he asked, taking a sip of his coffee.

“It’s not that I don’t. I get so used to tying it back for work, and I have no clue what my hair would look like after riding on your bike if I wore it down. I’d probably look like a disaster.” Kouga laughed and looked at her again. He wondered what it would be like to run his fingers through her black tresses, and then he noticed her singing along with the lyrics the band was singing.

_Stare down my nose, watching the color drain from my ice cold cereal and TV, before I go to sleep…_

“You know this song?” he asked. It was obvious she did.

“Yea. It was one of my favorites back in high school.” It was Breakers by Local Natives, and the band playing it slowed it down to a calmer acoustic version. The two struck up a quiet conversation about music and how their taste for different genres hadn’t changed much since then.

“I used to play guitar when I was a highschooler” Kouga chimed in. “You used to? Why did you stop?”

“I don’t really know. My passion for it kind of died out when my granddad started getting sick.” Kagome’s eyes held sympathy for him, and his chest swelled with…with what? He didn’t know. It was just good to have her compassion.

“But it’s all good though.” He led the conversation back to a happier trail, laughing when Kagome told how she volunteered to perform in a play, cook, and sing all in one night because her friends asked her to. She couldn’t really say no to any of them. However, the situation ended up playing out just fine, leaving Kagome feeling accomplished. After a couple more songs the couple decided to leave. Waving goodbye to Nobunaga, Kouga led his date out the door.

“Anywhere else you’d like to go tonight?” Kouga asked. She shook her head in an unsure manner and then he came up with an idea. Getting on the bike, they sped off in a direction unknown to Kagome.

“Where are we going?” she shouted.

“For a fast ride” he responded. “Let your hair down; it would feel much better.”

Kagome was confused but then saw where they were going. He was taking them up towards the cliff highways that overlook downtown Tokyo. The scenery up there would be breathtaking, and then she understood why he told her to let her hair down. She reached back with one hand, holding onto him with the other, and pulled down the hair tie. All the silk tresses fell around her and Kouga picked up the speed on the bike.

It was truly amazing; looking out at her mesmerizing city, the wind caressing all of her hair, and being with Kouga; all of it thrilled her. She was glad he thought of doing this, because she had never felt freer than she had at that moment, and it was all happening because of him. Kouga smiled and glanced at the city. Kagome was laughing and letting out sounds of slight fear at the speed he was going, but he could tell she was enjoying herself. He just wanted to make her happy and spend this moment with her. Sometimes when he was over-stressed, he would whip his bike through this cliff at illegal speed to let go; it always relieved him somehow. And he hoped it was doing the same for her.

He came to a stop and Kagome leaned forward to see where they were. There was a small clearing with a few trees shading the already dark area; it overlooked the city and presented a romantic aura. She knew what was about to happen. Getting off, she spoke “That was too much fun! I’ve never felt so exhilarated before.”

Kouga smirked triumphantly; his plan had worked. Now the final step was just a few moments away. The clearing was covered in soft grass that was slowly withering under the cold weather. They sat down, and gazed at the starts overhead Tokyo. He took this moment to study her again. She was a sight even more beautiful when her hair was down. The dark masses outlined her face, and gave a faintly wild look to her composed appearance. Was there a better word than beautiful to describe her? Alluring, exquisite, lovely, enticing? Were those good enough? At that moment, she turned her head from her upward position and met his eyes.

He was so handsome; there was nothing about him that was unattractive. His masculine features called to her feminine ones; he was truly perfect in her chestnut eyes. The way he spoke to her and treated her, she felt like she was…loved. But he couldn’t love her yet, could he? Sometimes she felt like things were moving too fast, but the only reason she felt that way was because of Inuyasha. His betrayal had left her hesitant about everything that had to do with relationships and love. But all of those doubts would go away when she was with Kouga. Every smirk, joke, laugh, and visual embrace made her forget her apprehension.

They held each other in another visual dance; drinking each other in through their eyes. Now was the exact moment to do it. There couldn’t have been a more perfect moment than the one they were in now. Kouga slowly leaned in to her, moving his hand to her cheek. Her head leaned back and lips parted slightly, and he noticed her breathing deepen once more. There were no jokes he had planned this time; no enjoyable teases up his sleeve. Only the desire to kiss her until she was breathless.

“Kagome” he breathed unregistered, and before she could ask ‘what’ he took her lips to his own.

The effect his kiss had on her made her entire body heat up in desire. He held that one kiss for what seemed like ages before pulling away, but he was nowhere close to being done. His eyes opened and met hers anew. Instead of curiosity in his ocean orbs, there was a fierce passion that he only held for her. This time Kagome moved back in, and seized his lips to hers. She moved her hands to his biceps, and changed her position so that she was on her knees in front of him. Kouga moved too, so that he was facing her, and moved his other hand to run through her hair.

The chilly air suddenly heated up, or maybe it was just them. Because what had started as a chilly night had turned into a hot one. The kissing became needier, more aggressive, and Kagome was breathing harder. She opened her mouth yearning to taste more of him, and savor him. When his tongue entered, it joined hers in a slow battle for dominance. He pushed her own back and explored every inch of her mouth, earning a moan from her.

If his blood wasn’t already burning with eagerness, her noises were making sure he burned even more. Light yet surprised moans were spilling from her mouth, and it sounded marvelous in his ears; because he was the one causing them. Her nimble hands slid from his muscular arms to his taut chest, and he breathed heavier. He hadn’t meant for things to become this heated, he had only meant to finally kiss her. He wasn’t really complaining though; but he knew he needed to stop himself soon before this turned into an outdoor adventure.

With that thought, he pulled away from her abruptly, breathing heavily, trying to gain back all the breath he lost. Kagome was doing the same, and was wondering why he suddenly stopped. Maybe she shouldn’t have grabbed his chest like that? ‘Did I do something wrong?’ she thought quickly. She really hoped she wasn’t bad; she hadn’t kissed a guy in so long, and especially not like that!

“I’m sorry” she said lowly, still trying to catch her breath. What the hell did she say that for? Kouga became confused; was she sorry for kissing him? Did she not want to kiss him?

“Sorry for what?” he asked.

“I-I don’t know. Was I bad?” ‘Did I just ask that!?’ she screamed to herself.

Oh, she didn’t regret it, she was just insecure. Kouga relaxed and smirked “Not at all Kagome. If you only knew how you just made me feel…” he drifted off. He was a good two seconds from pushing her back on the ground and taking her right there, which was why he needed to stop.

A shy smile touched her lips and she responded “Agreed.” They sat that way for a while smiling, and holding on to each other. It was getting later and colder, and he decided it was time to leave. The ride back to her complex was a long one, considering they had to come from the outskirts and through the busy downtown streets of Tokyo to get to her place. He walked her back up to her door, and pulled her in for a tight hug.

“Thanks for hanging out with me again Kagome.”

“Thank you for inviting me Kouga.” They stayed that way for a little while, enjoying the feel of the other’s body pressed against their own. He leaned down and kissed her, making it sweet. It was one slow press to her lips to say good bye, and with that he left. Kagome traipsed in her apartment and leaned her head back against the door.

‘Wow’ she thought ‘Just wow.’ The kisses were better than she could ever imagine. She thought of how badly she wanted him on the cliff. That feeling in her stomach had come back, accompanying itself with a small throb between her legs. It was then that she realized that she needed him; in more ways than one. Other than just the physicality, he provided her with adventure and neutrality of mind. He made her laugh like no other, and he always knew the right things to say to her. She wanted to be his, in every way possible. How she had let herself fall this hard in a couple weeks was unfamiliar to her, but she wasn’t regretting any decision she made tonight.

Kouga had her.

888

Once again, he wished she was there lying with him. The night had gone better than he envisioned; probably because he didn’t envision taking her up to the cliff and making out with her. The idea was a spur in the moment type thing, but he didn’t regret it whatsoever. He harbored too many feelings for this woman now, and instead of disliking the fact that she had a hold on him, he approved of it. No one else was of his concern now because he had her. Kouga was beginning to think on making it official, but would that seem too fast? They had only known each other for a little over two weeks; no, exactly two weeks, and he was already ready to be with her. Not only in a physical sense, but in every other sense as well. How had he let himself fall for her? He tried to think at what point did she really start wearing on him, and he knew it all started in the hospital room. Even when he was unconscious, she had somehow begun a journey to his heart, unbeknownst to her.

He realized that he never asked her how she felt about him, but after tonight, did he really need to? Yes, he did. He needed to know if she wanted a relationship or not. He was getting ready to text her, not to ask her to be his girlfriend, but to tell her goodnight, but then his doorbell rang. Who the hell was here at this hour?

Kouga got up and quietly stepped to his front door. Looking out the keyhole, he saw a face he really didn’t expect to see. He hadn’t expected to see anyone at this hour, but this one was an unpleasant visit. Slowly, he unbolted the door and pulled it open, forcing a pleasant voice.

“Seri” he said “this is a surprise.”


	9. 9

            “Seri, this is surprise.”

“I’m sure it is Kouga-kun” said girl chirped back. Kouga gave her a good eye over before he said anything else. There were some apparent signs that were giving her current condition away. She had on the kind of attire that she’d wear to work, thus saying that she’d just come from work. She was shifting from one foot to the other. She was wearing a stupid smirk on her face, and tiny beads of sweat were decorating her forehead. He recognized these signs all too well; she was under the influence.

“You’re drunk. And you’re here because?” This was going to be a tedious situation; he could feel it.

“I wanted to see you silly! And I know right” in reference to her being drunk “I got a cab to drop me off.”

“That still doesn’t explain why you’re here Seri.” His patience was already wearing thin. He had only wanted to text Kagome, and sleep, but now…

“Yes it does! The explanation is” she gave a drunken hiccup “that I wanted to see you. So that’s why I’m here.” She began to walk in and Kouga didn’t stop her; he couldn’t leave her out in the dark and cold, no matter how much he wanted to. He was simply going to sit her on the couch and call her dad, Damon.

“Nice place you got here. I’ve always wondered what it looked like. But of course you never invited me over.” There was a small hint of disappointment in her voice as she drunkenly wandered around the living room ‘observing’ the décor; with her sweaty hands. Kouga pulled his phone out of his pocket in preparation for calling his boss, which he knew wasn’t going to go smoothly.

“Seri” he began scrolling for the number “I’m calling your dad, okay? I’m calling Damon so he can come get you.” As soon as he instructed that statement out, Seri yelled “No! I wanted to spend time with you.” The sniffles came and Kouga braced himself for the drunken female tears. She began to saunter, as best as she could, over to him to speak.

“Kouga-kun, now would be some great alone time” she whispered.

“No it would not. I was actually trying to go to bed before you showed up” he bit back.

“Hmm” she contemplated “Yea, that sounds really nice. Let’s go to bed.” She reached up to pull him in an unknown direction to an unknown bedroom, and he quickly tightened his grip on her small arm.

“Seri! Knock it off okay, you’re drunk and you don’t know what you’re saying.”

“But I do know!” she responded. The way she was arguing against everything he said was resembling an argument with a toddler; unnecessary and irritating. Before he could say anything else she yanked her arm back from his tight grip and began to rant.

“You know what Kouga, I don’t understand you. One minute you act like you want me, and the next minute, you don’t care. You’re such a jerk! No matter how hard I try to get you to confess your feelings, you won’t. It’s pathetic really. The way you try to hide how you feel when it’s all in your eyes. You want me, I know you do.” During her speech, her voice went from yelling to one of seduction, and Kouga was pissed off along with confused at this point.

He tried to quickly recall a time he had ever once said or acted as if he wanted anything of her. However, he couldn’t think quickly enough, because there wasn’t anything to recall. Seri transitioned from angry to seductive to sad in a matter of seconds.

“You don’t even care about me” she sobbed out, and then heavy tears began to flow; probably tears of vodka, because that’s what her breath smelled of. “I’ve liked you for so long Kouga, and yet you still don’t care.” She waddled over to his couch and sat down to bury her face in her hands and continue crying.

Kouga didn’t have any words of comfort for her; he was madder than anything. First she accuses him of denying his so-called ‘desires’ for her, then she calls him a jerk, and now she accuses him of not caring. He had answers; oh he had answers to all of her questions and statements, but now was simply not the time. She was drunk, and there’s no sense in trying to be sincere, or anything logical, when drunk.

“Is there someone else Kouga? Huh? Is there some pretty girl I don’t know about?” The malice was returning, and he needed to act fast. Going over to the couch and leaning in front of her he answered

“I don’t see how that concerns you at all, but if you must know yes there is someone else” he said in spite. The cap on his anger was peeling back. Seri huffed and decided yelling was going to make the situation at hand better.

“Who is she? Who is this new girl that has all of your attention, because it’s sure as hell not on me!”

“Her name” he moved a finger in front of her face as if to scold her for yelling “is Kagome. And she’s not a girl, she’s a woman.” ‘My woman’ he wanted to add, but decided not to.  Seri looked like she had a mouthful of things to say. Her mouth was pursed and her cheeks were puffed out, and an unbecoming red tint was gripping her face…Oh...wait...

She had a mouthful of something all right. Kouga bolted across the living room to grab the nearest waste basket and nearly hopped to get it to her in time. As soon as it was in safe distance, all the liquid encouragement she consumed spewed into the basket, leaving a very strong smell in Kouga’s nostrils; this was definitely not how he wanted to end his night. Now she was crying due to frustration from vomiting, while one hand held the basket for her, the other scrolled to his boss’s number and dialed; she needed to get the hell out of here.  

The call was short and quick, almost as if Damon wasn’t surprised. Kouga had really hoped this wasn’t a habit for her; and he almost prayed that it wouldn’t become one. Not just for his sake, but for any other man’s sake as well. After she ridded herself of her encouragement, she passed out on the couch. Now, he had to clean the basket, and probably take another shower because he was feeling gross.

“You know what, fuck this” his response to cleaning. Kouga walked right out the door and threw the entire waste basket in the garbage can. It was a replaceable item, so it didn’t bother him any. He went back inside to wash his hands; he’d still be taking another shower later. He sat in a chair diagonal to the couch and watched as Seri peacefully slept, as if she hadn’t made a complete ass of herself mere moments ago. He wondered how much of this she was going to remember later, and silently hoped that she didn’t remember it at all. If she did recall tonight’s events, she’d want to apologize and Kouga hated hearing apologies. He’d have to tell her it’s okay when it’s really not, and try to make _her_ feel better for her irresponsibility.

Without really thinking about it, words of Kagome ran through his mind. The words were from a conversation they were having on the phone one time about people and how to be a people person. He had asked her when she realized her passion was in the medical field, and he’d never forget her response.

_“When I was little, my father died in a car crash. I only remember bits and pieces from the whole night, but what I do remember was my mother’s shattered face as the ER techs told her that he was gone; he was beyond saving. Of course I cried too, but I noticed that the man delivering the news had sadness in his expression as well, along with compassion. He saw me crying and bent down to pat my head and comfort me, and even though it was such a small gesture, it helped me in ways he’ll never know. The hospital staff was so kind to us, and they showed such patience with me and my baby brother. They gave me coloring books and stuff to do while my mother was away taking care of business. From that night, I wanted to be that person. That person that provides comfort when someone can’t find it, that person that takes away pain when someone is hurting, that person that can smile and lighten someone’s burdens. Because that was the treatment I got when I really needed it, and I wanted to give it back. I wanted to give back to anyone and everyone I could. Helping people has become my second nature. If more people learned how to help others and have compassion, the world would be better place.”_

Her answer had touched him; it warmed his heart. Kagome’s knack for helping people in need came from a time when she needed help, and something about that made Kouga like her even more. The reason that speech echoed through his mind was because he was thinking about how to handle Seri if she remembered tonight. Although he would never admit it, a small pang of guilt hit his stitched chest when she claimed he didn’t care about her. No he didn’t care about her in a romantic way; the way that she _wanted_ him to care, but he did care for her in another way. Seri had always been kind to him, even if she was flirting, she remained kind. She showed kindness to others too, and people complimented her for it. Honestly, she wasn’t a bad girl or bad looking, but Kouga just didn’t hold interest like that for her.

Her father had always spent more time worrying about his finances and business than his daughter’s well being. Did Seri even want to work at the bar, or was she forced to do it? Damon was a good guy, but trying to raise a teenage daughter on his own obviously wasn’t a strong suit. When Seri had turned 18, her demeanor seemed to change. Her normal façade of cordiality was being marred by a newfound bad attitude; probably because she thought she was grown. She began flirting too much with male customers who would flirt back; this was where Kouga would step in. He knew that the guys coming into the bar were no good, and a pretty young girl like Seri who was vying for opposite sex attention could get herself in trouble with men like that. He’d intervene and tell the guys to calm down and instruct Seri to go make herself useful somewhere else.

Kouga inhaled deeply and let out a long sigh. ‘She probably thinks I was doing all that because I was jealous, but I just didn’t want anything bad to happen to her.’ At that point, he knew that whether Seri remembered this night or not, they needed to talk about it. The girl was losing herself, she was confused.  Kouga remembered a time where he was confused. After his parents were killed, he didn’t know how to feel about anything. His grandfather would always speak words of wisdom, but Kouga didn’t want to hear it. He wanted to lash out, do idiotic stuff because he felt like he had a _right_ to. The same thing was happening with Seri, but he could help her. Another thought crossed his mind: would he even give a damn if Kagome hadn’t inspired him with her speech about help? He wasn’t sure, but he kept in mind that when he was lost, people were there for him; was there anyone there for Seri?

Another sigh, yea he would talk to her about this another time. It seemed as if Kagome was wearing on his judgment as well, yet he still didn’t find the need to complain. The doorbell pinged informing the owner of a visitor. Opening the door, he was greeted by a tired and gruff looking Damon.

“You look like hell, D” Kouga stated.

“Yeap, well, I suppose I would if I had to wake up to a problem like this” he pointed, indicating Seri was the ‘this’ he was irritable about. “I swear this girl is starting to lose all her sense Kouga. She’s really into you, which is probably why she thought to come here, and I apologize for that.” Damon let out a gruff chuckle and joked “It would be easier for all of us if you just went ahead and dated her, then she wouldn’t have to pull crap like this.”

He was just joking, Kouga hoped. Damon had always tried to push the two together, but he never worked too hard on it. Of course, anything that was his daughter’s interest didn’t require too much work from him, because he always had something else to work on. Kouga was beginning to see the forest through the trees; he couldn’t believe that this issue had slipped his radar for this long. The more he thought about it, the sorrier he began to feel for Seri. When Damon got no response, he just walked in and picked his daughter up bridal style to carry her to his truck.

“She’s going to get a mouthful when she wakes up” Damon stated gruffly.

“I don’t think you should boss. She was only trying to let lose, that’s all. Shit like this used to happen to me all the time.” Kouga knew that Damon always listened to him, and trusted his judgment on certain things, so if there was a way he could lighten the verbal ass whooping Seri was going to get later, then he would try. Damon secured her in the backseat and once again apologized and thanked Kouga for everything. When they were gone, Kouga headed back into his home to take a shower, again.

His mind ran over the hectic day he had and the realizations about Seri that he discovered. Tired of thinking about things that gave him a headache, his mind mulled over the kiss with Kagome. She tasted so sweet to him, and he lifted a wet hand to touch his lips lightly. It was almost like he could still feel her on him if he thought about it hard enough. Getting out from his shower ensuring sanitation, he slipped on a pair of basketball shorts and plopped face down on the bed. He was tired; too tired to think anymore. But yet, his mind still found a way to drift into sleep and think of his raven haired beauty simultaneously.

888

“This is an unusually quiet Sunday” Edo ER secretary Kagura drawled. Sunday’s were never too hectic anyway, but today was holding an abnormal yet appreciated sense of boring. The weekends were the chaotic days that no one wanted to work, but the more you work, the more you make, and that’s all that mattered to Kagura. It was approaching time for her lunch break; much needed. She woke up late and didn’t have time to make herself breakfast, and now she was suffering the consequences. Last night had been another one of those nights.

With that thought of last night’s activities, Kagura sighed heavily and rubbed her temples with her fingers tipped in nude colored polish. A day would come where this would be over; she would no longer have to suffer. Dropping the matter, she began making her way back to the break room to gather her belongings. Today was one of those rare Sunday’s that she, Sango, and Kagome all worked, so they would be eating lunch together as well. Before she could turn a corner to their lounge, she heard a frantic female voice around the corner. Her being the natural nosey-ass person she was, she stopped to listen.

“Please will you just leave me alone” the voice pleaded. Kagura knew that voice; it was one of a fellow co-worker, but whom?

“I know I said no, but now I realized that this situation between you and I has to end, permanently.” The voice became low, as if the person begging was trying to intimidate whoever was on the phone, but it hadn’t worked.

“You don’t own me Naraku!” The voice became high again, and at that name, Kagura’s heart beat increased exponentially in a mere second. Who the hell was doing the talking?

“Listen I’m at work, and I have to go. I would say we’d continue this conversation later, but since there won’t be a later for us, then the comment is unnecessary.” Kagura recognized that smart ass tone, it was one she had to take orders from almost every time she had to work, and it belonged to the one that was supposed to be engaged. Kikyo soon-to-be Taisho.

‘How the hell does she know Naraku?’ she thought.  ‘What the fuck is going on?’ Kikyo’s call must have ended because Kagura heard a huff and footsteps going in the opposite direction. But she still didn’t move; she couldn’t move. What did Kikyo and Naraku have going on? It couldn’t be anything good as long as his name was involved. Inhaling a deep breath, Kagura moved around the corner on her journey to the break room. Naraku was the reason she had been suffering, he was the cause of nearly all her problems. ‘That low down creep must have some kind of affair going on with Kikyo’ she thought.

Reaching the break room, she grabbed her belongings slowly, and got lost in thought on her way for lunch. Her life was never going to be care-free or gratifying or anything positive as long as Naraku Onigumo still walked the earth. Even though she wished she could blame all of her troubles on him, she knew that part of her dilemma now was because of her own actions.

-Flashback-

When she was a teenager, she was confused about life. Her image of happiness and freedom was influenced by the irresponsible things she saw her piers do around her. Her and some friends from school who all held the same interests would go to clubs at night with their fake ID’s, and drink and be ‘free.’ That’s what she thought freedom was. However, one night the group decided to go to this underground club in downtown Tokyo, and of course she didn’t refuse. The people in the club were scary looking; gruff, gothic, and ominous. Needless to say she was feeling out of her element in such a place, but tried to keep her spirits up for the sake of her reputation.

That was the night she met him.

He had on black dress pants and a dark purple button up shirt. The attire was out of place considering where they were, but Kagura couldn’t do anything but gaze at the silky skinned man, with his long curling midnight hair; he was handsome in her eyes. A song came on that her friends knew and they went to dance. Kagura, not wanting to get up and dance around any of these odd people, stayed at their little table slowly sipping on her drink; ever so often admiring the purple stranger at the bar.

He noticed her. That under aged girl with the tight dress and drink in her hand stalking him with her eyes; he noticed her. She was a fool if she thought she was being discrete. She obviously seemed to hold some interest in his person, so why not humor the girl a bit?

He sauntered over to her table, unknown to her, for she was laughing at her friends grinding on each other gaining eyes from everyone in the club. She hadn’t known her current obsession was standing right behind her.

“What is a girl like you doing in a place like this?” the man asked. Kagura felt as if she had been caught red handed, and turned around to see who had figured her out. What she saw made her seriously reconsider cursing the person out. The man in purple was behind her, looking down on her like easy prey. However, that predatory look in his eyes thrilled her in a way; she got excited just being this close to him.

“How can you tell?” she asked in reference to him figuring out she was too young. He seated himself in the chair next to her, and spoke again, meeting her eyes. Black with black.

“I just know. So what are you? Sixteen, seventeen, I dare guess, fifteen. Although your figure in that get-up wouldn’t scream fifteen years old.”

“Seventeen” she responded. “And what is an old man like you doing in a place like this. No offense, but that get-up makes you look out of place in here.” Her statement made him render a dark chuckle, and shivers went up and down her spine like a drumstick on a xylophone. Their conversation continued, and she discovered he was twenty years of age, too old for her, but she didn’t care. He must not have cared either, because he gave her his number.

“I’m afraid that I have business to attend to elsewhere Kagura, but call me if you ever feel like talking again.” He handed her back her cell phone, and left with a wink. When she was sure he was gone, she looked at her contacts and saw his name.

Naraku Onigumo.

She was also seventeen years old when her mother threw her out. Kagura had been getting in trouble in school, breaking her mother’s rules, being disrespectful, smoking, drinking; just all around uncouth behavior. The night she was told to leave, she packed her essentials in a duffle bag and called a ‘friend.’ The friend told her to meet them at the park across from her school, and so she went, never saying anything to her mother ever again. When she arrived at the deserted park, she saw him. He was sitting on a bench in the distance. She couldn’t see his face, only his menacing outline, but it didn’t matter how scary he looked, he was going to help her.

She walked up to him and begged him to let her live with him until she could find her own place, and him being such a great ‘friend’ accepted her request; only on his terms though. He would still driver her to school, so she could at least receive a basic high school degree. His house was nice as well, not too fancy nor was it broke-down. He cooked, and even bought her clothes. This man was actually taking care of her, and Kagura found herself becoming beyond attracted to her new friend. When she turned eighteen, all of that changed.

She kept her word and said that she would find a job and try to find a place of her own to live. The job part worked out; she found herself employed at a popular coffee shop. Personally, she really liked the atmosphere, especially when bands would come in and play. However, the finding a place of her own plan was not working out. Naraku’s normal behavior turned into something different. He would study her closely, drinking in her figure with his hell-dark eyes. Kagura now being legal and already attracted to him was not afraid of his advances. She’d embrace them, thinking that a relationship was going to happen between the two. If she ever knew the mess she would be getting herself into, she would have turned her whole life around when she had the chance.

It had finally happened. He finally came to her in the dead of night, and took her. Kagura thought after that, they would be together, but things went quite differently. After that night, some days he would act like it never happened, but other days he would become unexpectedly territorial. She could remember it so clearly. She had to work a late shift at the shop, and when she came home late, Naraku was pissed. She tried to say sorry, but not before he had her up against the wall by her throat, accusing her of being with some other man. Kagura’s tongue being as loose as it is, questioned him on why he even cared if they weren’t together.

“I can fuck anybody I want!” she yelled to the best of her ability. Not much air was getting to her lungs in his cold grip. With that, he slapped her, hard.

“You cannot as long as you’re here with me” he said lowly. And as much as she wanted to fight him, fight his grip, as soon as his hot breath was on her neck, and his hands were roaming her body, she gave up. That had become a cycle. Sometimes she’d just find things to anger him about so that he could hit her and insult her and fuck her senseless. Then after those activities, she’d find herself cradled on the shower floor, crying; calling him a heartless monster. But who was actually the monster here? Because she could never answer that question, she let it continue.

Some nights Naraku would bring other women home and sleep with them too. He’d take them back to his room, and treat them how he treated Kagura. She would find herself jealous and bewildered as to why he needed other women to rut when he had her. What dumb thoughts those were.

Things had all boiled down to when she was finally able to afford her own place. Much to her surprise, he let her move out. He even _helped_ her move her belongings into her new apartment.  She wished she had never let him find out where she lived. After the move, he stopped speaking to her, and strangely enough it was breaking her heart. She had developed an obsession with this sadistic ways, and it was ruining her life. Continuing her education at a local college, she received enough education to do desk work at the famous Edo Hospital. Life was looking up. She hadn’t seen Naraku, or heard from him, and deduced that that was a good thing. The people she worked with were great, Kagome being one of them. Just when she thought she was safe from herself, a knock on her door came.

He was standing there, in all black, looking as dangerous and gorgeous as ever. Every ounce of resolve Kagura had was about to dissolve, and she didn’t even try to stop herself. That night, he tore her clothes off, and bound her wrists above her head with a tie he had on. He hit her; every inch of her body was hurting, and oh how she loved it. He had told her how he was a fool for leaving her alone, that no other woman that he screwed was as wild as her; her wildness drove him mad. She screamed she didn’t want it, when every nerve in her body knew she did, and so did Naraku.

When he left, her old cycle came back. She showered and scrubbed her body raw, feeling so ashamed of herself. Kagura hated herself for the person she was; weakening at that evil fool’s touch. And every so often since that night, he’d come to her and do it all over again, but in different ways; destroying every boundary she tried to uphold against him.

-End of Flashback-

And last night had been another one of those nights. At this point, Kagura was fed up with him and her own self, but she could never be free from him. If she even hinted that she wanted him to leave her alone, there’s no telling what he would do to her. As long as he was around, there was hell to be found.

As long as Naraku Onigumo walked the earth, even if he crawled it, she would never be free.

And apparently Kikyo was in the same boat now. Kagura found herself in the hospital’s Subway establishment eating, but not talking, with Sango and Kagome. Both women were chattering about some guy, but she hadn’t paid attention to whom. Realizing that she had been rude by not associating she jumped in the conversation…

“Who’s this guy you’re on Kagome?”

“Oh she talks now?” Sango asked with mockery dripping in her voice. Kagura rolled her eyes and forced a smirk. Kagome began to tell her about the new guy she was dating, Kouga she had called him, and it was obvious she was head over heels.

“He sounds hot” Kagura chimed. “When will I meet him?” Kagome only blushed and gave some kind of indefinite time, and then the conversation went elsewhere.

“Oh!” Sango slapped the table “I almost forgot to tell you. Did you hear that Inuyasha and Kikyo postponed their wedding?” Kagura’s face went stark with surprise, while Kagome’s expression screamed ‘Hmm I wonder why.’ Their wedding was postponed until further notice, _and_ Kikyo was caught up with Naraku. ‘How the hell is she still alive?’ Kagura thought. If she couldn’t see another man, how the hell was Kikyo marrying one and screwing Naraku at the same time?

“I’m not going to make any comments” Kagome stated indifferently. Kagome had never told anyone about her and Inuyasha but Sango and Miroku. She didn’t want the whole ER staff to know, so she kept it all a secret. Kagura obviously didn’t notice what she said because she looked lost in thought; she looked troubled.

“Kagu are you alright?” Sango asked quickly. She had noticed that said ‘Kagu’ was not her normal self. Normally she would at least engage in gossip, but today was different.

“I’m fine, just had my mind on something. I’m gonna go ahead and get back” she stated. She rose from her chair and left the other two women sitting and baffled.

“She’s not her normal self” Kagome stated the obvious. Sango agreed, but both decided to discuss the matters of the wedding postponement now that it was just them; neither one of them knowing that a dramatic hurricane was brewing all around them.

888

Miroku knew tonight was not going to be pretty. As long as Inuyasha was still a baka, nothing would ever be pretty with him. He was currently on his way to the Taisho mansion to talk to his idiotic friend about his actions with Kagome. It never ceased to amaze him how obviously wrong something could be, yet Inuyasha would never see a problem. ‘Because he’s an idiot’ Miroku thought. But Inuyasha had always been a good friend to Miroku since he started at the hospital; the two had some crazy memories together, and both swore that they’d always have each other’s backs. But a friendship pact didn’t mean that they wouldn’t argue.

As he drove up the long road to the mansion, he exhaled deeply as to prepare himself for the impending conflict. The gate man automatically recognized Miroku and let him through, and Miroku drove in the circular driveway and parked. He wished he really didn’t have to do this. Sometimes he swore he just wanted to marry Sango, get her pregnant, and move to the outskirts to live at a peaceful shrine; that sure as hell beats all this drama. He rang the doorbell waiting for their butler to answer, but was surprised when a certain small child answered instead.

“Uncle Miro!” the child said excitedly. Miroku stepped in and patted the child on the head and spoke “Hello Rin.” Rin beamed up at him and skipped happily to attend to whatever she was doing before he came. He was glad the child was steadily breaking out of her shy-shell with people; especially him. Before he could go after her and ask where Inuyasha was, Sesshomaru appeared around the corner; looking impassive as ever.

“He’s in the kitchen” he said flatly, and disappeared back around the corner to attend to Rin. Miroku knew that that was as warm as a greeting would get from the older Taisho, so he simply made his way to the kitchen to find Inuyasha making a sandwich; or what was supposed to be a sandwich. It honestly looked like a bunch of crap piled amongst crap.

“Hey man, what’s been up?” Inuyasha spoke casually. He never told Inuyasha why he was coming over; only that he was.

“Oh I just think we need to talk about some things” Miroku responded charmingly. Everything that came out of his mouth sounded charming. Inuyasha shot Miroku a look warning him to drop the voice, and raised his eyebrows in curiosity at what ‘things’ needed to be talked about.

“Okay, go ahead” Inuyasha stated.

“I heard you asked Kagome to dinner. Inuyasha, that wasn’t a part of the plan” Miroku chided him.

“Keh, honestly Miroku, I don’t see why this bothers you so much. Don’t tell me your eyes for Sango are starting to wander somewhere else” Inuyasha retorted. Miroku’s lips turned farther downward at his friend’s asinine insinuation.

“No, they have not. However, Kagome is my friend as well, and I look after her. Sango and I both agree that you need to leave Kagome alone. She’s seeing someone else remember.”

His friend only shrugged his shoulders and closed his eyes in irritation “Look, I’m only trying to figure out my feelings about Kagome. Dinner would be a perfect time to decipher how I feel…” before Inuyasha could continue, Miroku interrupted.

“Cut the bullshit Inuyasha. You and I both know that dinner would be the perfect time for you to fall for her all over again, not to decipher how you feel. You already know how you feel; you just want her to feel the same way. Which is useless at this point because _she’s seeing someone else_.” Inuyasha’s expression lost its’ signs of a good mood and became upset. Miroku didn’t know a thing; yet he was totally right.

“Keh, then let me make my own mistakes then Miroku! Stop butting in to my business and worry about your own girl.”

“But at least Sango _is_ my girl. I can’t say the same about you and Kagome” Miroku added on truthfully. His friend was suffering from a severe case of denial, and it was causing him to act worse than he already is.

Inuyasha scoffed and yelled “If you’re only here to get only here to get on my nerves then just leave! I know what I’m doing.”

Miroku’s eyes gained an expression nothing short of pity for his friend. Inuyasha knew he was making a mistake, and he knew he made a mistake in the past. He only wanted to be happy now. Unfortunately, his quest for happiness was purely selfish; he was not thinking about how his actions were going to affect others. When Inuyasha saw his friend’s look of sympathy for him, it only made him madder. He didn’t need nor want any sympathy from anybody. But instead of cursing or yelling, he only said…

“Just leave.” Miroku obliged and walked out as calmly as he had walked in. It was comprehensible to him now that Inuyasha was determined to see his plan through to the end; the only thing Miroku could do at this point was warn Kagome, and be there for Inuyasha when he gets his feelings hurt.

Back in the kitchen, Inuyasha leaned his elbows on the counter from his standing position, and put his head in his hands to think. Miroku was right about everything. He knew where his feelings stood with Kagome, and he knew that she didn’t return them. But he still couldn’t help but hope that the right persuasion would bring her feelings back for him. He wasn’t happy with Kikyo, and sometimes he got the notion that she wasn’t happy with him either. He sighed heavily and took a bite of the kami-only-knows-what-the-hell-kind-of sandwich, and cringed suddenly; running over to the trash can to spit it out.

He seriously needed to learn how to cook for himself.

Disposing of the rest of the concoction, he grabbed the house phone ordering pizza. Normally when he was hungry, he’d let Kikyo make him an average tasting meal; it was always better than anything he could make anyway. But he couldn’t do that now because…well…

He hadn’t talked to Kikyo since last Saturday night when he postponed the wedding…pretty much eight days ago.

Yes, he felt guilty for that. It’s not as if they broke up, but he got the impression that she would talk to him when she was ready. Yet, he was also worried. Kikyo should have called him or text him or made _some_ kind of contact by now; was she truly that upset? However she was feeling, he decided he’d give her as much space as he needed. Plus, her absence made associating with Kagome easier.


	10. 10

Monday…

            “Ah ah ah, don’t fight it” Naraku said in a patronizing tone. His captive only responded by another stifled scream exciting him further. Yesterday, Kikyo had the nerve to challenge him; saying that they were done with their liaisons and that he did not own her. But today’s events were proving the exact opposite of everything she previously said. He wasn’t telling her he was coming over, but he knew her work schedule by now and decided to ‘surprise’ her with his ‘wonderful’ presence. He figured a little roughness would jog her memory on who she really belonged too.

Kikyo’s hands were bound at her wrists by a royal purple colored tie, and she was forced into a face-down position with her bottom in the air. The force he was using to drive into her spoke nothing but aggression and anger, causing pain. And he purposely tied the tie too tight around her wrists, adding on to the pain. But what was hurting her over all were the harsh words he was using. Normally, she’d enjoy his encroaching behavior in the bed room, but since she had come to the conclusion that Naraku was a horrible addition to her life, she no longer wanted that behavior. She needed her sweet, easily-manipulated Inuyasha. Hell, she needed anything remotely better than Naraku.

He was preaching to her between heavy groans that she was not going to belong to anyone else, not even Inuyasha. He kept telling her that she was a worthless whore that continued to seek satisfaction in him, and that out of all the women he fucks she was the one that was the most desperate for his touch. His words punctured her like his nails were puncturing the creamy skin on her thighs. ‘When will it end?’ she thought hopelessly. Her back side was hurting; everything was hurting, and Naraku kept trying to bring her to a climax that she didn’t want to experience. When she finally let go, he followed her. He groaned loudly and cursed and grabbed her long hair, yanking her up to flush her body against his grossly sweaty chest.

“You are an insatiable little bitch aren’t you?” he inquired in a whisper, still grinding inside her. Kikyo knew better than to say anything but yes at this point; anything else would result in more sexual torture. Whispering what he wanted to hear back, he wrapped his arms around her to unbound her.

“You’re much more enjoyable when you are restrained” he stated. Of course she was; anything that included Kikyo under his complete control was to his enjoyment. When he untied her hands, he let her fall back on the bed, and moved to lie next to her. Spooning her body to his, he brushed the top of her hair as if he was attempting to comfort her.

Kikyo was trying hard not to cry, but how dare he touch her with soothing movements as if he wasn’t the one that caused all this pain in the first place? Not liking her silence, he decided to strike up conversation; for purely selfish reasons. There were matters he wanted to discuss with her.

“You said he postponed the wedding. Why?” She did not hesitate to answer.

“He said there was much work to be done with the hospital expansion, and it would interfere with our wedding and honeymoon schedule” she answered somberly. Kikyo knew that from now on her words needed to be spoke with clarity and precision; it was not an easy task dealing with an irrational monster.

“He’s probably lying” he started and continued to rub her head. “He’s probably realized that marrying you would be a mistake.” Kikyo was taken aback by his words. Naraku was insinuating that Inuyasha was lying to her. If she only knew…

However, she chose not to respond to that hypothesis and he resumed talking.

“When will you realize that you do not love him, and he does not love you?” Almost immediately Kikyo responded curtly “You do not love me either, nor do I love you.” Her response was met with a bone chilling silence in her bedroom. The lights were still on, so she would still be able to look up and see his face at her statement. But she didn’t dare do that; she didn’t want to see. That silence dragged on for too long; almost like he was staying quiet to entice her to looking at him. Unfortunately she gave in and glanced up to see his face.

It was smothered in displeasure, and the corners of his lips were turned downward as far as they could go. When he met her eyes, she almost recoiled in fear. It was like the darkness of his hues had grown even darker in hostility. That was how his eyes looked when he would yell at her in anger, and they would stay that way as he mercilessly took her over and over. She knew what was about to happen.

Before she could attempt to apologize for stating the obvious truth, he assumed a position above her, pinning her body down with his own.

“I can make you though. I can make you love me Kikyo. I’ve done it to so many others before.” His rough, hot tongue found the flawless area of her neck and licked her. She pursed her lips to avoid letting any sound escape, but she let out a yelp when he bit her. This wasn’t a love bite, this was a full on bite into her neck as if she was a piece of meat. He chuckled at her response and licked the area roughly, making the sensation all the more unpleasant.

“Naraku, please stop this!” she begged. Kikyo knew he loved it when she begged, and never wanted to give him that pleasure. But she was highly disturbed by his actions and surprised when he ceased them. He leaned up to look into her eyes with his now filled with sadness. Kikyo was truly afraid now. Just a moment ago he looked vicious, and now he looked as if she was the one causing the damage.

“Why have you changed your feelings towards me? You used to like what I’d do to you Kikyo” he whined pitifully. She was on the verge of tears from confusion and fear; what was wrong with him?

“You should have left me alone when I asked, Naraku.” His face went from sad, to blank, to angry in mere seconds. He pressed her body into hers so hard that breathing was becoming difficult for her.

“Fine, Kikyo. Have it how you wish. But you and I both know how this is going to end.” She assumed he meant he would take her once again, but instead he stood up and began to dress. At that, Kikyo moved her naked body under the sheets to cover herself, suddenly not wanting him to see her bare anymore. Once he was fully clothed, he grabbed his keys, slipped his phone in his pocket, and walked to her bedroom door. What the hell did he mean ‘how this was going to end?’As if sensing her confusion, he stopped right at the bedroom door and looked over his shoulder to speak.

“I am not accustomed to being denied, Kikyo. And that normality is not going to change because _you_ all of a sudden decide to change. So go ahead and get married, and pretend like you’ve gotten rid of me. I’ll be there when you least want me to, and when you least expect it.”

With those ominous words being spoken, he quietly left her room, and left her home. When she was sure he was gone, Kikyo let the pent up tears fall. She was beyond confused and honestly scared by his words. Would she never be free? She knew this was no one’s fault but her own, but if he had so many other women to manipulate as he claimed, why the hell was he so stuck on her? This meeting was not a positive way to start her day whatsoever. Furious with him and herself, Kikyo removed herself from the bed and tore the cover and sheets off, screaming.

Her screams were not any of pleasure, not any of surprise, but those of fear and aggravation. She threw the soiled bed sheets in the laundry basket in a corner of her room, and stormed to her bathroom slamming the door behind her. Before she even thought about washing those, she needed to wash herself. Turning on the shower to a nearly scalding temperature, Kikyo stepped in and fiercely scrubbed her skin with a bar of soap and her nails.

“I-I need to cleanse myself of him” she tried reassuring herself; tears still falling, throat raw and tight from weeping and screaming. She scrubbed harder; any harder and she’d be ripping her skin off, but the thought didn’t sound too bad to her at the moment. Anything it took to get rid of him in every aspect of her life, then she would try. She had to try. His words never stopped echoing in her mind, and in pure defeat she sunk to the shower floor, clenched her knees to her chest and continued to cry. There was no way she was going to rid herself of him, and that much was clear now. Even if he didn’t touch her anymore, she was scarred mentally for life. But the soul of Kikyo’s agony stemmed from his final words…

_“I’ll be there when you least want me to, and when you least expect it.”_

There was no such thing as freedom.

888

Inuyasha had had enough of this. Kikyo had not been answering his phone calls or replying to his text messages, and needless to say he was pissed off.

‘Seems like that’s all I’ve been lately’ he thought. He decided he would just swing by her place unannounced. It would have been announced if she would have answered her phone, but people love being difficult. She couldn’t possibly be this angry with him about the wedding; she hadn’t even tried to call him these past nine days. If she was trying to hold out on him or make him mad, she was going to pay for it.

Then again, he supposed he should be happy. Her absence was making it easier for him to scheme on what to do with Kagome, so why was he so bothered? She is still his fiancée, but they were only delaying their union, not cancelling it.

‘Not that I know of yet’ he thought again. If things worked out with Kagome like he hoped, then the wedding would be getting canceled. Because that’s such a genius idea, right?

When he pulled into her neighborhood, he immediately gazed towards her driveway and saw her car. ‘So she is home.’ Then there was no reason why she shouldn’t have answered his calls today. He parked his vehicle in front of her mailbox, not caring to think about if the mailman had already came, and angrily walked to her front door and rang the doorbell. He assumed that her avoiding him was because she was sad, so he expected her to open the door with a dismal expression and standing in a ratty old house robe; the greeting he received was quite the opposite.  Kikyo was wearing a pair of Capri sweatpants, and a white t-shirt; she was actually looking quite peppy.

“Inuyasha, you came to see me” she chirped excitedly. Inuyasha had prepared himself for an argument with Kikyo, and here she was acting excited to see him. The bright smile on her face confused the hell out of him, and the tight t-shirt she was wearing was distracting him from his mission.

“Why the hell haven’t you been answering your phone” he half-yelled. If she was in a positive mood, then he didn’t want to completely destroy it. Kikyo reached a hand out for him to take and gently pulled him inside. Closing the door behind him, Kikyo wrapped her arms around her fiancé’s neck and spoke sweetly.

“Oh, Inuyasha” she began “I was so afraid to talk to you. I know you said that we were postponing the wedding because you were going to be busy, but I couldn’t help that the real reason was because…well…” When she didn’t continue, Inuyasha egged her on.

“Come on, just say it!” If she was going to say because she’s afraid there is someone else, he was going to die.

“Because you don’t want to marry me anymore.” Her assumption was close enough, so close in fact that Inuyasha’s heart pumped faster at the end of her sentence, and he desperately tried to think of a response to that. When he didn’t speak fast enough for her liking, she dropped her hands to her sides and took on a hurt expression.

“So it is true. You do not want to marry me anymore.” She didn’t ask, only stated her conclusion. At that declaration, and her expression, Inuyasha quickly retorted.

“Kikyo! Don’t say that; stop being so ridiculous. You know I love you and I want to marry you, but you already know the reason why we can’t right now. Stop being insecure; you worried me to death when you didn’t answer my calls.” He was just lying like a rug, and Kikyo took his words for gospel. So he did want to marry her, he was just truly afraid of the hospital project interfering with their special day.

She dropped her sad expression and slightly smiled. “I know. I should not have avoided you because of my insecurities, and I am sorry. Please, let me make it up to you?”

Inuyasha’s face morphed from anger to surprise. She just apologized _and_ offered to make it up to him. Coming over wasn’t such a bad idea after all.

“I’ll only accept your apology after you make it up to me.” He gave an impish grin that stated exactly how he was expecting her to make it up to him. And lucky for him, because she was already thinking the same thing. Kikyo stepped closer to him and lifted herself on the tip of her toes to his him, then went in for his neck. Inuyasha let out a deep sigh at her soft assault on his neck, and ran his hands up and down her back.

Whispering in his ear, she stated “Well then Mr. Taisho, allow me to make it up to you.” Before he could say anything else, she pushed him against the door and kissed him harder. He was taken by surprise at her eagerness, and immediately desired more. All his pent up frustration and stress needed to be released, and having denied his body of Kikyo for too long, he knew that he wasn’t going to last long this time.

She helped him pull off his jacket and t-shirt before discarding them to the floor, and did not hesitate to work on his pants. When they were unbuckled and around his ankles along with his boxers, Kikyo removed her own shirt and bra, and dropped to her knees.

Inuyasha threw his head back as his lover took him into her mouth; he definitely missed this. No matter what they went through, their love making never wavered. Her actions became insistent and unbearably enjoyable, and too soon for his liking, but not to total displeasure, he was approaching his climax. Just as soon as he was about to let go, she stopped.

He looked down with hazy anger ridden on his face, and Kikyo only wickedly smirked and made her inquiries and demands.

“Do you want me to keep tasting you?” she asked breathily. His only response was a slow nod as she continued to speak.

“Tell me you love me” she urged.

“Oh, Kikyo. I love you.” He’d do or say anything at this point to get her to continue her ministrations.

“Tell me you won’t leave me.”

“If you keep up stuff like this believe me, I’m not going anywhere” he laughed out. He should have never confessed that to her; all it did was reassure her that as long as she could pleasure him physically, he wasn’t going anywhere. After he answered her, she brought him back into her mouth and took all of him. His climax came in a short time, and he rendered one breathless groan and hissed through his teeth as he finally released his tension.

When Kikyo was done pleasing him, Inuyasha picked her up and damn near ripped off her sweatpants and underwear. He pressed her to the door where he was mere seconds before, and got on his knees to return the favor. Kikyo’s legs were suspended on his shoulders as her hands ran through his silky hair.

This was what she needed. Not harsh words and viscous movements, but the sweetness of Inuyasha. She breathed deeply at his soft actions, and smiled. When she was with Inuyasha, she could forget about Naraku. She could forget the philandering with that monster and focus on what she had before her. Her smile continued to widen the closer she got to the edge of the cliff, and when he pushed her off, she groaned heavily and moaned in satisfaction.

As long as she held the reigns of sex on him, then he would never have to find out about the man who had tainted her, the man that was here only hours earlier taking her as if she belonged to him. Inuyasha would never realize what she had become.

888

“So what genre of crappy movies should we watch? Chick-flick, action, comedy, or horror? Shitty horror movies are the best” Kagome asked excitedly. She was elated that Kouga had accepted her offer to come over to her place for dinner and a movie this upcoming Friday. She was going to cook one of her best dishes and apparently one of Kouga’s favorites, miso soup and oden.

“Horror movie. Definitely a shitty horror movie” Kouga decided. He was quite surprised but glad that Kagome asked him to come over so she could treat him instead of him treating her. His pride told her that she didn’t need to do that, but he decided to let her spoil him for one day.

“Horror movie it is.” Today had been a busy Monday in the ER, and Kagome was glad to finally be home, showered, and laying in the bed talking to Kouga. He always put her in a better mood; even when she was already happy, he made her happier. The two went on into conversation about their day, and he was already making her laugh. Apparently, he’s thinking about getting a dog.

“Why a dog? Why not a cat?” Kagome asked.

“Cats…are…disgusting, Kagome. They have the worst attitudes and they don’t listen to their owners” he retorted.

“No they are not! I have a pet cat. Well…had. He’s still at home with my mom, but he’s pretty old. I named him Buyo, and he always listened to me!”

“Did he really?” he asked in suspicion. Kagome recalled events when she was a young girl and a teenager: Buyo getting into her laundry, Buyo being too lazy to get off her lap when she needed to get up, fat Buyo, and most memorable, Buyo scaring the life out of her in her family’s shrine. At that though, she quickly told Kouga the embarrassing story.

“They had to go borrow a neighbor’s long ladder so I could climb out of the well. It was so humiliating” Kagome ended. Kouga was having a good laugh at what she considered a near death experience.

“How is that funny?” she asked in a high voice. She wasn’t mad, but she never recalled making Kouga laugh this hard. In between laughter and wheezes he answered…

“I-It’s just so funny. I can see it now. Teenage Kagome getting so scared by her cat that she fell down a well. It sounds like a plot to a movie. Like the well should have been a portal to another place. Like the future, or even better, the past! Tokyo way back in the day.”

Kagome joined Kouga in wheezing laughter; his idea was insane, but hilarious to think about.

“Too bad that could never happen” she added. Kouga mumbled in agreement and they found other things to talk about. As if someone had slapped him in the face, he remembered his personal debate he was having earlier that day.

‘Do I tell her about the whole Seri situation, or not?’ It wasn’t anything to hide, so he came to the conclusion that he’d bring it up Friday night. To someone else, it may sound like a poor idea to tell your intended about some drunken girl coming over your house to do kami knows what. But Kouga wanted to tell her because he wanted to let her know that her words really changed how he would have handled that situation; that was sure to make her feel warm and fuzzy.

“Have I ever told you how glad I am to have met you?” Kagome asked sleepily. She was running low on chatter-box energy and needed to restock soon.

“No you have not, but your actions have given me a pretty good idea” Kouga responded in a flirty manner.

“I hope by actions you mean spending time with you and having genuine conversations; not just the make-out session” Kagome said.

“No, no, no” he began in an offended tone “Little old me would never even think that” and he began to laugh again. Kagome only rolled her eyes and smiled.

“Mhm, I am sure that’s what you meant.”

“Kagome, I really enjoy spending time with you. Not just the passionate moment we had, but the conversations we have and the one we’re having now is what makes me glad I met you.” That was complete honestly on his part. He didn’t care if it sounded sappy, but for some reason, he felt the need to reassure her that what he felt for her wasn’t purely physical without exactly saying so.

Kagome gave a quick ‘aww’ in appreciation and thanked him for his words of kindness. Neither one of them was fighting their growing feelings for one another; and why would they? They were both adults who knew what they wanted, so there was no need to hide. When Kagome became too sleepy to function, Kouga told her good night and let her go, and both people fell asleep with smiles on their faces in thought of the new special person in their life.

888

Wednesday…

“You guys, stop looking at me like that!” Kagome nearly shrieked. Currently her friends Sango and Miroku were shooting her the most impish grins from across the table at their favorite restaurant. Even though they were her best friends, sometimes she wished she didn’t tell them some things; especially about Kouga.

“My apologies Kagome dear, but I must say I’m surprised by your boldness. Inviting a man over for dinner and movie is highly…suggestive” Miroku explained.

“I am not a pervert like you. I can actually spend time with someone of the opposite sex without humping them” she bit out, and then shot Sango a glare. Her bestfriend only laughed and defended herself.

“Hey I’ve been in a relationship for a year now, and I see nothing wrong with dinner and sex.”

“But it’s not like that between me and him! Sure we flirt, but I didn’t invite him over for that” Kagome responded. She really didn’t have that on her mind. Well, it crossed her mind of course, but she was not planning on making advances.

“So what will you do if he comes on to you and things get heated? Because your explanation of the cliff make-out session seemed like preparation for greater things” Miroku asked. He was interested to see how much Kagome really liked this new guy.

“I agree. We all know your still…untouched, Kagome.” Sango finally dropped the bomb on her friend. She and Miroku had been wondering how far Kagome was going to go with Kouga, considering that she was still a virgin. At Sango’s statement, Kagome’s face paled in embarrassment and Sango immediately reiterated what she said.

“Not that there is anything wrong with that whatsoever. It’s just that you and Kouga just met, and although there’s nothing like a good...uh…sexing to seal the deal, it’s still odd to us. Is he really worth giving the last piece of innocence you have to?”

Kagome mulled over her friend’s question. As far as she saw it, she was a grown woman who was perfectly aware of her body’s needs, and the only reason she held out this long was because there was no man that she desired as strongly as she desired Kouga. Once upon a time, it was Inuyasha that had that privilege, but he screwed that opportunity up for himself. Why wait any longer if Kouga was who she wanted?

“I know it seems like things are moving fast, but I wouldn’t want anyone else but him. It’s just so weird confessing that. We’re not even in a relationship, yet I feel as if we have known each other for years. He’s funny, handsome, genuine, and loyal to the people around him. Even more so, he really likes me. What more could a girl ask for?” At her speech, the couple sitting across from her looked at each other and impishly grinned once more before nodding to her in acceptance.

“And if he’s what you want, then go for it Kagome” Sango encouraged. She was happy for her friend. Even though she was about to take a huge step, Sango was going to be there for her if she needed help. The trio went about eating and making more conversation until Miroku reverted the subject. He was too damn curious to let it go.

“So, Kagome. Will you just straight up tell him you want it and walk out in some revealing lingerie, or will you slowly hint that you want him over a glass of wine? What’s your style?”

Other restaurant goers turned their heads to the direction in which a loud slap and an ‘ouch’ was heard. They were met with a disturbed looking woman, another one that was apparently about to die of laughter, and a handsome man rubbing the back of his head.

Kagome wasn’t the least bit shaken by his statement, but she was not going to answer. She didn’t have an elaborate plan because she wasn’t planning on anything happening. Friday night was only going to be an act of kindness; she’d cook, they’d eat, watch a horrible movie, and…

Well, whatever else happened would just happen. If things go in the direction of advanced physicality then so be it. She blushed when she thought about their naked bodies pressed against one another, and once again she felt that pull between her legs come back. No, she wasn’t inviting him over for sex; only to be a good hostess. Kouga had taken her out twice and spent money on her with no hesitation. A dinner and a rented movie was the least she could do.

Their conversation went elsewhere, and even though Kagome was paying attention to her friend’s words, her mind continued to create scenarios of what could possibly happen Friday night. Whether things became heated or not, she knew one thing for sure, it would be a night to remember.

888

“Hey, Kouga, hurry up man. My thirst isn’t getting quenched” a gruff voice called out from the far end of the bar.

“Shut up Hakkaku!” Kouga roared back. He was currently serving other customers, and his friends were being complete dumb assess. This wasn’t the first time they would come in and bother him while he was working, but that didn’t mean it was any less irritating. He _would_ tell them to ask the other bartender, but there wasn’t one working tonight; only him. Wednesday’s were nights that he would work with Seri, and she wasn’t at work today. Apparently, all the other bartenders were not able to work on hump day which left Kouga to be a one man army, but he didn’t mind too much. That only meant more tips for him. 

Seri had not contacted him, nor had Damon, and Kouga was slightly relieved. Today really hadn’t felt like the day to go saving someone’s world, but luckily Seri was not here. Sooner or later he would have to face the challenge.

‘I could always just not say anything’ he thought, but cowardice due to a female was not about to occur in his life whatsoever, so when the time came he would talk to Seri. Finally clearing the bar to a more bearable level, he went to assist his friends. He already knew what they liked; beer. Beer was their idol, and if the world just so happened to run out of it, an uprising would start right here in their own little Tokyo.

“So since you assholes are here, I suppose I should give you a little update” Kouga began. Said assholes stopped gawking at an overly-friendly group of college girls at a table and turned to their current server.

“Kagome invited me over Friday night for dinner and a movie.” That was literally all he wanted to tell them, but knowing how nosey and perverted they are, the sexual innuendos were sure to drop in 3…2…1…

“Aww shit! My man’s about to get it in!” Hakkaku shouted. A few guys at the bar turned their heads and smiled towards Kouga’s way, as if they were sending looks of approval through the air. Kouga only nodded in dismissal and turned to glare at his friends. He knew this was going to happen, and if it had been any other girl, Kouga would have joined in their manly celebration. But this was about Kagome.

“Calm down you guys. It’s only going to be a nice evening at her place. I really wasn’t even thinking about getting anything in.” If the word confused needed a visual to accompany it in the dictionary, Ginta and Hakkau’s faces would have been the ideal choice. Had they just heard him correctly? Did he just say he wasn’t going to get it in? Ginta was going to ask if this was a joke, but the serious expression Kouga wore seemed absolutely truthful.

Kouga let out a deep sigh and leaned on the bar to support his weight. This had already been a long night; the idiots in front of him were going to make it longer, and he only had a desire to be at home listening to Kagome’s sweet voice. Yes, he was still stunned by her invitation, but the way she explained her actions, she had only wanted to kindly repay him for treating her…twice. He had been wondering what the rest of her place looked like, having only seen a small portion from the hallway, and she made her cooking sound like it was the best thing next to sliced bread. If Kagome could cook as well as she said she could then he would be at Tokyo’s finest jeweler’s to pick out a ring by Sunday morning.

That was just a joke, but the quote about the quickest way to a man’s heart is through his stomach definitely applied to Kouga Convel.

“Kouga, are you even listening?” Ginta nearly shouted. Whatever trance Kouga was in, he snapped out of it. Quickly looking around to see if there were any more customers that needed assistance, and not seeing any, he turned his gaze back to his friends.

“What were you saying?” he asked.

“I was saying” Ginta paused “that I’m surprised. So you’re just going to go over there and eat, then watch a movie and leave. No make out session or anything?”

Kouga was slightly annoyed by his friend’s shock, but he knew that their shock was due to his popular ‘player ways.’ He had spent many of his days getting into other girl’s beds, but he didn’t know how to convince his friends that this situation was different without sounding wimpy. After he and Kagome had gotten off the phone, he went into deep thought about her. His ultimate decision made him nervous, but not regretful. Friday night would be the night that he would make things official. He hoped to the heavens that she would not think his actions were too soon, but his heart could not rest until he could finally hold her and call her his woman.

“Let the chips fall where they may” he responded, and then left to tend to new customers. Kagome was going to be his girlfriend by the end of the week; he was going to be in a relationship. A month ago the thought may have repelled him, but now it seemed like he was yearning for one. He was going to tell her how he felt about her, and then ask her. A sly smirk touched his face when he thought about what could happen afterwards. He was sure that if she accepted his request, then a make out session was sure to ensue. Even though his goal was not sex, it sure as hell would be a bonus. There was a strong need set forth in his body that he knew Kagome started, so she was the only one to satiate it. Ever since that night on the cliff, his mind would find the most inappropriate times to fantasize about inappropriate things. But he would never rush her; it would be most gratifying if Kagome came to him and told him she wanted it. Then he would be more than ready to grant her.

Nevertheless, Friday night was sure to be a night to remember.

888

Friday…

“I’ve got everything under control!” Kagome excitedly chirped into her cell phone.

“Are you reassuring me or yourself?” Sango replied. This caused Kagome to huff and render a quick frown in her small kitchen. She had went to the nearest store and rented a movie, and was currently preparing the sustenance for the evening. Even though she was the one that thought to invite Kouga over, that did not lessen her nerves.

“Both” Kagome bit out. She didn’t know why, but she had been having premonitions about that night. Tonight was supposed to be eventfully enjoyable, yet she had the tiniest hint of doubt in her stomach; almost as if something exactly the opposite of enjoyable was going to take place.

“Kouga doesn’t seem like a guy who’s on his high horse. I’m sure he’ll be fine with whatever you cook, and whatever you chose to watch. Stop worrying.” Sango was used to providing support in her friend’s time of need. However, she still found her lack of buoyancy annoying. Kagome Higurashi was never supposed to falter in confidence.

“I know. You know I just need to hear you say it, for my sake.” Both ladies laughed and Kagome gave quick parting words before ending the call. Sango was once again 100% correct. Kouga would be happy with whatever she provided for him. It was getting close to seven o’clock, and he was supposed to arriving any moment now. She figured he could watch a little TV while she attended to the food, and then when it was ready, they’d enjoy a nice dinner followed by a shitty horror movie. That meant tons of laughter, smiles, and hopefully some cuddling. Kagome’s body shivered in excitement at the thought of being curled up against Kouga. She had been sending Sango pictures all afternoon of different outfits; finally deciding on a short, eggshell colored lace dress with long sleeves, and brown witch flats. Due to her over-confidence, she even decided to leave her hair down.

She honestly didn’t know why she was nervous to begin with. She found the perfect poor movie for the night, and she looked good, and the kamis only know how many times she’s made miso and oden soup. Therefore, there was absolutely nothing to worry about. That small nagging in the pit of her stomach was just a bundle of nerves. After all, it’s only human to be nervous. Kagome started humming one of her favorite songs and chopping slender onions, hoping her eyes wouldn’t water. Her smile was widening at every thought of Kouga: Kouga in her home, Kouga on her couch, Kouga at her table, cuddling with Kouga, Kouga in her bed…

Well, maybe not the last one.

She pursed her lips and sighed heavily at that thought. Tonight wasn’t anything but a nice little date, but if certain things were to take place, then the chips should fall where they want to; she wasn’t going to stop anything. The radiant smile she was wearing previously returned when she heard a few knocks at her door. Carefully removing her apron, she smoothed out her dress before trotting over to the door. Her stomach was literally doing flips at the thought of seeing him again. She only hoped that her large smile wasn’t frightening because of her insane excitement.

“You’re here” she excitedly began, and as soon as her brain registered who was standing on her doorstep, all auras of buoyancy ceased to generate.

‘What the hell?’ She was opening and closing her mouth, trying to find something to say. She sure as hell didn’t invite _him_ over.

“Kagome, you look amazing.” Inuyasha was in awe at her attire. He never really got to see her like this anymore. The only times he ever got a glance of her was in her mint green scrubs, but tonight she looked beautiful, and her legs looked ever so smooth. Breaking out of his thoughts, he noticed that she was still struck with shock, and couldn’t find words to say. So, he took this opportunity to continue his grand master plan. He barged in, using his strength to resist her poor attempt in defending her apartment.

“It smells great in here. You know I haven’t tasted your cooking in a while” he began.

Kagome stared so hard her gaze could have bore holes in a brick wall. Was this idiot really in her home, looking around as if he was going to be staying here? Did he really just walk in like that? It was times like these that Kagome wished she had invested in pepper spray, although pepper spraying her boss didn’t sound like the brightest idea. Then again, bosses don’t invade your personal life like this.

“Get the hell out!” she half-yelled. Stomping towards him, she turned him from his position facing the kitchen to face her. It was obvious he had been drinking.

This was not how she wanted to start her evening.

“Inuyasha, you’ve been drinking, haven’t you?” He responded with a smirk and spoke in slurred speech.

“I was at this bar not too far from here, and I said ‘hey, Kagome doesn’t live too far from here.’ So I decided to pay you a well deserved visit.”

‘What the fuck?’ What the hell did he mean by ‘well-deserved?’ She deserved to have him out of her home, and out of her life, but neither of those wishes was going to come true at this rate.

“You cannot be here. Did you drive here like this? Do I need to call Miroku to come pick you up? Kikyo perhaps?” She spat angrily.

“Forget about Kikyo” he slurred again. “I’m here for you, but I’m not stupid. You’re dressed all cute, and you’re cooking. My guess is you’ve got a special guest coming over.” His face had gone from a mocking smile to a disapproving look. He apparently knew that she had a date.

“Yes, yes I do! I have a guy coming over soon for a date, and you need to get the hell out. That’s it. I’m calling Miroku and I’m going to give him your keys. This is absolutely pathetic, Inuyasha!” This must have been what the nervous bundle in her stomach was about. She was rarely wrong over premonitions, but she would not allow Inuyasha to ruin her life tonight. He’s already ruined so much for her, and she’d be damned if he was going to spoil her soon-to-be good night. Kagome quickly walked towards her kitchen to grab her cell, and when she came back out, Inuyasha had made himself acquainted on the love seat decorating her small living room.

“Get off my couch!” she demanded. She walked over to the couch to attempt to pull him up. Deep down, she knew her actions were useless, but she hoped that in his drunken stupor, his balance would be off and she could overpower him. She was going to make him sit in the apartment lobby until Miroku showed up.

“Stop trying to push me away, Kagome” he began “you and me both know that this new guy of yours can’t replace how you feel about me.” He was easily resisting her assault on his right arm to pull him up. Actually, it would be easier to pull her down. As soon as this liquor induced thought crossed his mind, a wicked smirk crossed his lips. He suddenly looked up into Kagome’s eyes and saw that she had apparently been speaking to him.

“Did you even hear a thing I just said?” When he continued to stare at her blankly, that let her know that he indeed had not. She cursed and lifted her phone closer to her face to call Miroku. She quickly told him what happened, and was highly annoyed that he had not sounded surprised at the random call. Letting her know he was on his way, she hung up, and put her hands to her temples and began to rub.

“Why are you always such an obstacle in my life?” she spoke softly but sternly.

“I’m not. You just keep denying that you want to be with me” he responded cockily. Kagome snapped her eyes open and flung her hands down to her sides. She was silently praying to any and every kami there might be that she didn’t choke her boss to death in her own home; she wasn’t trying to go to prison for murder.

“I would argue you about this, but considering the fact that you’re drunk, I will not waste my time.” Even as she spoke, Inuyasha only continued to stare at her and smirk; it was making her extremely uneasy.

“We should go wait in the lobby for Miroku. I don’t want you in here when Kouga comes.” She widened her eyes when she realized she said his name. Not that she was ashamed, but she didn’t want Inuyasha knowing more than he needed to; and he needed to know nothing.

“Oh, so Kouga is his name. He must be pretty great if you’re sleeping with him already.” His assumption that was so sure-fire spoken angered her more than she could imagine. How dare he? He literally had no idea, and no right.

“Come on!” she yelled grabbing and hitting his arm again. “Get your ass up so we can go wait in the lobby. I don’t want you in _my_ place speaking such garbage. You know nothing. And if I was sleeping with him, what would it matter to you!?” She had had enough of this.

“I will admit that I’m jealous, Kagome” he spoke quietly. Kagome quit hitting him and just stared at him; a thousand emotions were flowing through her eyes, and Inuyasha was quite enjoying getting under her skin. She was so beautiful when she was angry.

“You? Jealous? What in all hells? You have NO fu-“before she could finish her sentence, Inuyasha had taken this chance to perform part three of his just now thought up plan. He took advantage of her open armed stance and yanked her down. Her body was on top of and leaning on his. He trapped her legs between her own so she couldn’t move, and held her to his chest tightly.

“Inuyasha!” she protested. He leaned in mere inches from her lips and spoke so quietly she almost didn’t hear him.

“I’m jealous because I still love you.” Kagome felt bile rise in her throat along with intense worry. Before words could leave her lips, he took hers to his own. It was a hard, forced kiss, and the way he had her body guarded to his, she couldn’t move. She squirmed as much as she could, but he had always been stronger than her. Her chest began to hurt at the need of air. His unrelenting kiss was hurting her physically and emotionally. Tears pricked the corners of her eyes as she struggled her hands between their chests to try to pry them apart, but he was unmovable. Just in that moment, she saw a flash of black near her doorstep.

She had forgotten she left her door open.

888

“Inuyasha!” he heard.

That was strange. It sounded like that was coming from Kagome’s apartment. The roses in his hand made swishing sounds as he walked faster to her door. The closer he got to his location; he saw that her door was wide open. Was something wrong? Did she have friends over?

The sight Kouga saw caused a wave of unknown emotions to hit him. She was lying in some other man’s lap, sharing a heady kiss with him. Hell knew that he wanted to interrupt, but he would not allow himself to lose control over a woman who was apparently busy with someone else. How could she, why would she do this?

He decided to take his leave when he saw her eyes shift to his. He fast walked back to the elevator, trying hard not to turn around and strangle someone.

“Kouga, wait!” he heard her yell. But he was already in the closing elevator. As he descended, he used every ounce of will power he had not to punch the wall next to him. This was all too much. The female lobbyist at the desk stared at the handsome raven haired, blue eyed man strangely as he stormed out of the doors, not forgetting to throw a bouquet of roses in the trash can next to them. He had just walked in, looking as smug and confident as ever. And here he was, looking as if he was about to kill someone. How odd.

The lobbyist only sighed and turned back to her computer. ‘Poor guy must have gotten his heart broken.’

888

Instant dread.

That was exactly what washed over her when she saw him in the corner of her eye. She didn’t see what his face looked like because he had left immediately after her gaze turned to him. She had been squirming, tossing her head from side to side, attempting to vocalize her discomfort and displeasure to Inuyasha, but his actions weren’t letting up. She was afraid that he was going to try to take this farther than a kiss, and hoped Miroku showed up in time. When one of his hands began to roam down her back, Kagome realized she needed to act fast.

She bit down on his bottom lip as hard as she could, and immediately gasped for air when he let out a yelp and grabbed his bloody lip. Not wasting any time, she ran from her apartment and called down the hallway.

“Kouga” she yelled. When she turned the corner to the elevator, it had just closed.

“God damnit!” she yelled. She needed to get to him; she needed to tell him it wasn’t what it looked like. Hadn’t he seen how uncomfortable she looked? Hadn’t he heard her yell Inuyasha’s name mere seconds before he saw the kiss?  Her mouth formed a grief stricken ‘O’ shape when she realized what that must have sounded like. She ran back to her apartment, and found Inuyasha at the kitchen sink trying to stop the bleeding with a wet paper towel.

He was yelling at her she guessed, but she didn’t hear. She didn’t care. The only thing that mattered was getting her cell and calling Kouga.

“Calling your boyfriend I see?” Inuyasha spoke in a patronizing tone due to anger. The bitch had bit his lip, _and_ she drew blood. He was sure that there was going to be a deep red mark on his bottom lip as evidence; how the hell was he supposed to explain that to Kikyo if he saw her? The affects of too many drinks was starting to wear on him, and his head was pounding.

“Shut the fuck up!” she yelled. Kouga’s phone went to voicemail, not to her surprise. She quickly moved her hands to type a text message of explanation. He may not answer her, but he was sure to see her text message. She chose her words carefully knowing that one wrong word could ruin any chance to explain to him. She sent the message and started at Inuyasha, malice shooting hot darts into his eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, but she beat him to it.

“Say one word and you’ll regret it. I don’t want to hear shit from you!” Her threat had not gone unchecked to Inuyasha, yet he was too drunk to care.

“At least he knows who you really belong to.”

Livid. Not angry, but livid was the word to describe her level of upset. She had been trying so hard not to cry, and now she was failing. Angry tears poured from her eyes and she plopped herself on the couch, burying her head in her hands.

“You always ruin everything!” she cried out. “I try so hard to not let you affect me, but you always find a way to get to me. What did I ever do to you?” Her sobs were interrupting her speech. Kagome didn’t care that she was openly showing her emotions in front of Inuyasha. That strong façade she had been putting up against him was gone. All that remained was the immense sadness she was feeling at that moment.

“Kagome?” she heard a voice softly inquire. Miroku was standing in her doorway with confusion and concern written on his normally peaceful face. She looked up at him, and the sight caused his heart to pound harder.

888

This was absolutely perfect.

He had been on his way to Sango’s house when he received that call from Kagome. He was instantly angry at Inuyasha’s actions, but tried not to sound like it. Luckily he had been at the grocery store picking up a few things, and that was not too far from Kagome’s apartment complex. He quickly left the store and hoped he didn’t get a ticket on the way to her place.

Miroku knew tonight was her date night, so for all of the days for Inuyasha to make an ass of himself, today just had to be that day. He ran two red lights in attempt to get there as quickly as possible. If Inuyasha was drunk, there was no telling what he would do. He recalled times that he himself had witnessed the drunken Taisho, and although it was amusing at that moment, this moment would not be. It took him less time than expected to get to the complex, and he reeled his car to a stop in the parking lot and quickly made his way to the front doors. As he rounded the corner, he ran into someone else who was apparently in a hurry as well.

“Watch where the fuck you’re going!” the stranger yelled. Miroku looked up and saw a seething blue eyes staring at him.

“I’m sorry sir.” That was all that was said as Miroku ran through the doors and to the elevator. When he reached her floor, he veered around the corner to the hallway that would lead to her door, and he heard sobbing sound throughout the quiet hallway. He reached his destination and stopped in the doorway to find Kagome weeping on her couch.

“Kagome?”

888

She didn’t want to prolong this terrible night any longer. Before Miroku could approach her to comfort her, Inuyasha waltzed out of the kitchen, stumbling along the way.

“Get him out of here, Miroku!” she cried out. Kagome didn’t care if she looked like a snotty nosed mess; things couldn’t get much worse than this night in particular. Miroku went over to help a slowly but surely passing out Inuyasha walk to the exit. Miroku turned around to ask Kagome if she needed anything, but as soon as he was safely outside her door, she slammed it.

He knew that something much worse than Inuyasha’s unexpected visit must have happened. Kagome’s frazzled state and his friend’s bleeding lip insinuated that a fight had taken place. At that thought, he pushed his friend toward the direction of the elevator in silence. He did not want to speak, he only wanted to get him home and out of his hair.

On the other side, Kagome had leaned against the door she just slammed, and sunk to the floor. She had allowed tears to freely fall, and had not tried to hinder any sobs or whimpers that came from her.

Her night was ruined. Her life was ruined. She was sure that after her actions, she’d be getting fired. And as much as that would break her heart, she knew she would be able to lean on Kouga for comfort.

If he didn’t hate her, that is.

He had not responded to her text message, and she had tried to reassure herself in her mind that it was because he was driving. She was going to try calling him again later, and if he didn’t answer she would keep texting him until she did. Kagome thought about how pathetic that would make her look and the rate of flow of tears increased.

What if Kouga never believed her? What if he stopped talking to her all together? She was sure that she wouldn’t be able to bear it. This was a completely misinterpreted situation, and she needed her chance to explain. But she knew the only way she would get to explain is if she gave him some space and let him calm down.

She pushed herself up, and went to the kitchen to turn off the stove that she had water and things boiling. She would have put things away but she didn’t give a shit. Turning off the lights to the rest of the apartment, she went to her room, kicked off her shoes, and climbed under her covers. He must have been angry and hurt by what he saw. And she didn’t want to fool herself, but were those flowers she saw for a split second?

The thought of Kouga bringing her flowers only made her cry harder, and soon before long her pillow was becoming uncomfortably wet where her head lay. Yet, she still didn’t care. She continued to lie in that one spot, and let her tears flow. Her chest heaved in and out, and labored breaths and sniveling were the only things heard in the room.

She needed a chance to explain. Kagome checked her phone once more, knowing damn well she didn’t hear it ring or vibrate, just to see if Kouga had contacted her. Her heart beat increased in speed at the thought of him not answering her later tonight. What if he didn’t contact her until tomorrow? Would she even live long enough to see tomorrow? She knew she couldn’t wait till tomorrow to hear from him.

Kagome was letting things sort out in her mind. What the hell had gotten into Inuyasha? Alcohol apparently, but what about all the other times he had been trying to come on to her? His words were replaying in her head, and they were certainly not helping her current situation. Inuyasha had assumed she was opening her legs to Kouga, but that wasn’t true. He kept accusing her of denying her feelings for him, but that wasn’t true either. He told her that she still wanted him, but that sure as hell wasn’t true. So why did those words bother her so much?

Of course he had some liquid support earlier that evening, which caused him to say all of those things. But was that what he really thought was going on?

Did Inuyasha Taisho truly believe that if Kagome was seeing someone, someone that was not him, that it was only for sex?

‘That doesn’t make any damn sense’ she thought. Soon her sobs had slowed, but the tears had not discontinued. Kagome didn’t know whether to feel angry, or sad, so she was doing both. She was angry with Inuyasha for pulling the shit that he did, but she was also angry with Kouga. Did he really not see how uncomfortable she looked? She was sad because she was afraid that Kouga was going to avoid her for a while, but she was also sad for Inuyasha. Did he really propose to another woman, yet still love her?

All the questions and no answers were providing her with a headache. She knew that Miroku would be telling Sango of tonight’s events soon, and she would be calling her to gain information on what happened; Kagome just really didn’t feel like talking. She reached over to check her phone one last time, hoping that Kouga had responded, but not being surprised when she saw that he hadn’t.

Powering down the phone, she snuggled deeper into her pillow, not caring that she was still in her dress. She prayed that by the morning, Kouga would have tried to contact her, and that she would have an opportunity to explain herself. This was not how things were supposed to end. Kagome wouldn’t allow things to end this way. She couldn’t stomach the thought of Kouga hating her for something she wasn’t responsible for, so she would do whatever it took to convince him of her innocence. She had to. There was no other option. Others may have been confused at her fierce determination to prove her sinlessness, but it wasn’t only the desire for saving herself that drove her.

It was her love for him.


	11. 11

            His throat was dry, he felt hot, and his head was pounding. Alcohol was only so fun up until you start throwing up and wake up with a killer hangover. He turned his head and looked at the clock on the wall.

11:50 am.

Kouga was never one to oversleep, but due to last night, today would be an exception.

‘What the hell happened to me last night?’ he thought. He looked down and saw that he was in his bed, still wearing the same clothes he had on yesterday. He exhaled deeply when he realized that he needed to shower and take some medicine, and probably go back to sleep. All of these things would require getting up and walking; something that his body didn’t think he was up for at the moment.  He decided he would start that journey once he figured out why he was hung-over in the first place.

Small clips began to play themselves out of order, and soon began to re-order themselves in the proper sequence of events. As the sequence got later into the night, things got hazy; things were starting to blur. Aggravated by the sudden lack of clarity, Kouga stopped trying to think so hard and reached a heavy hand out to grab his phone. When he checked it, he saw it desperately needed to be charged, but he also saw a text message and one missed call from none other than Kagome Higurashi.

Kouga groaned in irritation. What the hell was she contacting him for? It couldn’t possibly be to apologize. He hated apologies, and the way he was feeling now let him know that today would not be the day to hear them. Even though his anger was resurfacing, he dared check the message anyway.

_‘Kouga I swear what you saw was not what it looked like. I know that sounds cliché, but I promise you that. Please, give me time to explain. –Kagome’_

‘So, she’s going to pull the –it’s not what it looks like- card, eh?’ he thought. ‘I would have hoped she would have been cleverer than that.’

What he saw last night was when he wasn’t drunk, so he knew damn well the clips of her on another man’s lap were not drunken illusions. The more Kouga thought about it, the angrier he got.

‘She must have a thing for guys with long, black hair.’ Kouga saw that whoever this Inuyasha man was, he too had long, raven colored hair. ‘Why would she even invite me over if she was planning on doing that?’ Realizing that there was no logical answer to that question, he made the most logical assumption.

‘She must not have know that her other guy was coming over and lost track of time when they were making out. She probably wants to explain that she’s still a single woman and she’s talking to more than one guy.’

Even that sounded like shit to Kouga, but it was all he could provide himself with. Maybe soon he’d be able to contact her and ask her for the truth, but today would not be that day. Now, the next challenge was trying to figure out what the hell happened the rest of the night. Just as he was about to resume thought, his bedroom door opened.

“You really need to go grocery shopping. How am I supposed to make breakfast with the junk in your refrigerator?”

Kouga made no attempt to hide his displeasure from the guest at his door. “What…the…fuck. Seri?”

888

“That’s it! I’m going to Kagome’s!” Sango yelled. She got up from her kitchen table and stomped her way back to her bedroom to find decent clothes to wear. Little did she care that Miroku was right behind her.

“She probably turned her phone off because she does not wish to be bothered. Give her some space” he assured, but his girlfriend was having none of it.

“She needs a friend, Miroku. I swear today will be the day I do something illegal. First I’m going to go buy Kagome’s favorite ice cream and drop it off to her, and then I’m going straight to the Taisho’s manner to kill Inuyasha!” When her boyfriend explained his tardiness to her house late last night, she damn near lost it. Friday night was supposed to be perfection for Kouga and Kagome, and leave it to Inu-trasha to fuck everything up. Sango had been spitting death threats to the air ever since last night. Finally, she had gotten too tired of being angry and being ignored by her best friend to stay awake any longer. But now that she was awake and rejuvenated, there would be hell to pay.

“The timing was bad, Sango. Think about it, if Inuyasha had dropped by on any other night except last night, would you be this angry?” Miroku asked kindly.

“No I wouldn’t. I’m angry because he ruined something good for Kagome, once again!” Sango really just wanted to see her best friend happy. Before her surprisingly calm boyfriend continued, she did.

“Be honest, Miroku. How upset were you last night with your drunken friend for pulling the stunt he did with Kagome?” Miroku considered her question for some seconds before responding.

“I was quite upset. So was Kagome, and so were you.”

“No, I _am_ mad! Use the correct verb tense!” Sango resumed looking for something to wear when she felt warm and strong arms envelop her from behind.

“Sango, I know you _are_ upset. But I believe we should leave out dear friend Kagome to sort this out on her own. I know you want to be that friend to help her, but if she needs some time, give her some time. It was wrong of Inuyasha to pop in on Kagome and Kouga’s date last night, but try to understand his disposition. He’s confused about what he wants, and last night just so happened to be the night he worked up some courage. Believe me, Inuyasha may be an idiot, but he’s not cruel. He will wake up and remember his rude interruption, and he will properly apologize to Kagome and leave her alone for good.” The two had assumed that Kouga was over Kagome’s apartment when Inuyasha barged in, and he must have said something stupid causing Kouga to punch him in the lip and leave. If that wasn’t what happened, then Kagome would have to be the one to clarify later on.

After his speech, Sango placed the folded up jeans she was holding back in the dresser, and placed her arms over Miroku’s.

“You always know what to say” she breathed quietly. Miroku was used to her getting worked up over the people she cared about, even him, yet he always knew how to calm her down. He placed a light kiss to her neck and whispered in her ear.

“Only you are privileged to this special treatment.” He placed another kiss on her neck, and turned her around to claim her lips. When she didn’t object, he felt relieved and accomplished that he had prevented her from committing murder and being overbearing today. As anxious as he was for answers, he knew that he too would have to wait for Kagome to speak up.

888

“Not excited to see me?” Seri asked.

“Obviously not” Kouga answered rudely. He knew he said he was going to be nicer to Seri and talk things out with her, but his current state was preventing him from doing so. Plus, the person that inspired that decision was not in his good graces either. He shook his head quickly in attempt to stop thinking about Kagome; it would only make his head ache worse.

“Seri, don’t lie to me. I can’t remember most of last night, and I need you to fill me in. What the hell happened?”

With his question, Seri walked over nonchalantly to the foot of his bed and sat down facing him.

“Alright. But you cannot interrupt until I’m done” she demanded. Kouga nodded in understanding and waited for her to begin. Something told him he was going to dislike what he was about to hear.

“You came to the bar around eight o’clock last night. You looked pretty mad, and just barged in behind the bar and started pouring yourself a drink. When I asked you what was wrong, you told me not to worry about it. I didn’t bother you, because it was obvious you were pissed off. You kept pouring drinks for yourself and making meaningless conversation with bar goers; which isn’t anything out of the ordinary, except that last night you got drunk. You started being loud and obnoxious, making passes at random girls.” With that last sentence she inhaled deeply and continued. “You put your number in a couple of random chick’s phones and kept drinking. I didn’t know what to do, but I knew that you shouldn’t be drinking so much; especially not since after your accident. I figured too much might have a bad affect. Soon, you began getting rowdy with some other drunk guys and a fight nearly broke out. I had to go over there and talk _you_ out of a sparring match that _you_ singed yourself up for! I just let the other bartender handle the job and gather the tips for the rest of the night, and I brought you home. I swear by the time I led you back here to your room, you passed out on the bed. I slept on the couch because I knew you would want an explanation for your hangover and why your bike isn’t here. It’s still at the bar.”

When her recap was over, Kouga was sure crimson was painting his cheeks. This entire situation he put himself in could have ended up dangerous. Knowing how he acted with girls when he drank, Kouga continued to question Seri. He needed the truth.

“What did I say to you, or do?”

Seri looked at him almost as if she was hoping he wouldn’t ask that, but she knew better than to keep things from him at this point.

“When I dragged you to my car, you were asking if we were going back to my place or yours. I tried explaining that it wasn’t that kind of night, but you kept…prodding me about it.” Not long after that statement, Seri paused and Kouga noticed shades of embarrassment painting her cheeks as well. He was silently praying to the kamis that her speech was not going to end how he thought it was going to end. His silence and steady gaze on her made her nervous, and she had to stop herself from getting lost in his curious, deep blue gaze.

“You turned the music up, not that I cared, but at a certain point I pulled up to a red light, and…” she paused once again and continued “you grabbed my chin and tilted my head your way, and you kissed me.”

It…was…official…

He was never drinking again. From here on out, it would only be water in his system. No sodas, energy drinks, and especially not alcohol. Anything that had a chance of altering his mental status was no longer allowed.

‘Of all the fucking…’ he began to think ‘why did I act so stupid?’ He knew why. He obviously was using alcohol do drown out his anger and, dare he say, hurt from what Kagome did, and he made some really poor choices. He used to drink like a dog and party hard back his early adult hood, but now he really didn’t feel up for it. It may have been entertaining the first couple times around; waking up in a bed that wasn’t yours next to a pretty girl who was going to remember what an awesome night she had, but not his name. Sooner than he expected, that dangerous lifestyle grew old to him. Realizing that Seri had been waiting on him to say something, Kouga spoke up.

“Is that all? Did I touch you in any other way? If I did, I sincerely apologize, and don’t forget, it was the booze.” He finally found enough strength to sit up so he was eye to eye level with Seri from a distance.

“No! I promise you that is as bold as you got. You did keep saying something about someone named Kagome though.” Upon uttering those words, Kouga’s body went more rigged, if that was possible.

“Is she the reason why you were drinking so much?”

He wanted to tell her no. He wanted to tell her to shut the hell up and stay out of business; that it wasn’t what it sounded like, but then he would by lying. In response to her actions, Kouga lost control of himself and nearly drank himself to death; all because of _her_.

“Don’t worry yourself about it, Seri. I suppose I should thank you though. Bringing me home probably saved my life considering the state I was in last night.” He stood up and groaned at the sudden pounding in his head that was protesting movement, but he needed to escort Seri out, and take care of himself. Seri saw this as an invitation to leave, and obliged. The two trudged out of his room and made the way to the front door. When he opened it for her, he didn’t forget the fact that she hadn’t said ‘you’re welcome’, but he wasn’t too concerned as to why.

When she was on the doorstep, she quickly turned around before Kouga could slam the door in her face, and spoke.

“I should be thanking you. After I popped in on you all drunk, this was karma kicking my ass.” Kouga nodded his head and closed his eyes and spoke.

“We’re just going to pretend like that didn’t happen, Seri. And once again, I apologize for my actions last night. It will surely not happen again.” When he stated that sentence, he didn’t miss the poorly hidden expression of disappointment cross Seri’s face.

“Yea I understand. Kouga?”

“Yea?”

“Who is Kagome?”

Why was she asking him this? Was she truly that concerned about his well being? In any other situation Kouga might have been flattered, but he knew that Seri wanted to know who Kagome was for her own selfish reasons.

“Just this chick I used to talk to.” When he spoke those words, a tiny pain hit his chest. Yes, he was going to say ‘used to’ because he was trying to convince himself that after last night, he and Kagome would no longer be associating, but part of him felt as if that was a lie.

“Oh” Seri stated quietly “well whoever she is, she had no right to piss you off like that.”

Kouga let out a heavy breath of irritation and calmed himself. If Seri was trying to pity or empathize with him, he swore he was going to lose his mind. Pity was always a useless feeling in his eyes, especially when the person pitying you had no clue what was wrong with you. When she said that, his mind quickly recapped seeing Kagome kissing another man, and all his anger resurfaced.

“You know what Seri, just stop. You don’t care about what happened to me, so don’t fake it. The only reason you’re showing me kindness is because you’re trying to get in my bed, and I must say that’s pretty pathetic. Maybe I would take you up on that if you acted more like an adult and less like a child obsessed with a toy. So don’t ask me what happened between me and Kagome. You just want to know what not to do if I ever gave you a chance, which will never be happening.”

He instantly regretted his words. Kouga didn’t mean to tongue lash the girl, but he was beyond irritated. Seri did not even respond, but he saw tears well up in her eyes before she reached in her pocket and handed him his keys to his bike, and stormed off. She peeled out of his driveway as fast as she could, and he was sure she would never be coming back.

‘Damnit!’ he chided himself. Kouga wasn’t sure where all this hostility against Seri came from, but he needed to get a grip. He shouldn’t have called her out like that. To be honest, he never had a problem with her liking him, but it was just her unjust possessiveness that turned him off. Plus she kept trying to bring up Kagome, and that’s where the anger stemmed from. He didn’t want to think about her, talk to her, look at her, or hear her name because all of those things brought on a heavy feeling in his chest.

Kouga made his way to his kitchen to down some medicine for his headache, and made his way make to the shower to clean up. He was hoping that his mind would be too tired to wander, but it did anyway.

‘Why would she do that to me? I didn’t think that she would be that type of woman.’ Kouga was utterly confused by her actions, and as badly as he wanted to talk to her about it, his stubbornness and pride wouldn’t allow it. He wasn’t blind; he knew what he saw. He had always thought about what he would do if he was ever cheated on; what it would feel like. But now that he was here, he wasn’t sure how to feel.

His eyes saddened as he showered and analyzed his conflicted feelings. Part of him wanted to act like her actions didn’t faze him, and continue on with his life. Another part wanted to be angry and curse her for what she did. But the third, and greatest, part of him wanted to feel sad; he wanted to feel pain from what she did. And that was what unnerved him.

Kouga had only been talking to Kagome for three weeks, yet her trifling actions hit him in the heart. He would never confess that to anyone though, especially not her. He was literally moments away from committing to a happy relationship last night, but all that changed when he saw that her heart was never really with him in the first place.

The humorous and genuine conversations, the text messages, the flirting, the dates, the kisses, the passion; what was the point of engaging in any of that if she wasn’t going to be serious in the first place? Images of her smiling, laughing, and cheering in his ear while she rode his bike crossed his mind, causing his head to hurt more. Her warm words of comfort when he told her his chest was still hurting also crossed his mind. Her startled and sweet moans that she rendered when he kissed and touched her on the cliff resonated in his head, and that weight on his chest began to get heavier.

‘Why, Kagome?’ he asked himself. ‘I don’t understand.’

He stopped the water, realizing that a hot shower was not helping his headache or mood. Dressing in lounge clothing, walked around turning all the lights off in his house, and crawled back into his bed. He had to work tonight, so he needed to sleep off the remainder of this hangover. Kouga checked his phone one more time to see if anyone, specifically Kagome, had contacted him, but he found that his phone had already died.

‘Maybe that’s a sign that I really don’t need to talk to anyone anyway’ he thought. He didn’t know why, but he was silently hoping that Kagome would try to call him again. He was sure that she only called him that one time last night to apologize out of shame for him catching her in the act. So, if she didn’t call him today, or any other day, then he would assume that she didn’t really care at all. There was no way he was going to contact her first, no matter how badly he wanted answers.

Kouga had no clue why he was trying to reason with himself, or fight with himself. It would be better to go ahead and admit why this was affecting him so much, then maybe he could find closure and move on. A month ago, he would have never thought that he would be lying in bed, saddened over one woman. But Kagome Amelia Higurashi was not just any woman. She was gentle, yet fiery. Kind, yet not one to be pushed over. Innocent, but had passion to her as if she wasn’t. Caring towards everyone, but truly loving to only a few. And Kouga had felt as if he had become one of the few that she had shown her love to. Even now, when he knew he should be upset with her betrayal, he couldn’t help himself from thinking about all the great things she showed him, and how she made him feel. And it was then that he knew why his chest continued to feel heavy.

He loved her.


	12. 12

Wednesday…

            Sango quickly walked through the hallways to her friend’s apartment. It was Wednesday night, but Kagome told her she wasn’t going out to eat with her and Miroku. The two went without her, and neither tried to hide the fact that dinner just hadn’t felt the same. For the past few days, the couple had been swamped with preparation work for an important upcoming heart surgery that weekend. A teenager was getting a transplant, so the specialty team had been meeting and planning all week. Unfortunately, those meetings would run over into what was supposed to be lunch time for her and Kagome, so she hadn’t talked to her friend at all about the Friday night disaster. Kagome hadn’t made much effort to contact her, and Sango was getting worried. It wasn’t like her to distance herself from her friends; she hadn’t ditched dinner with them before when Inuyasha betrayed her. So, Sango could only deduce that whatever feelings Kagome had for Kouga, they were stronger than what she felt for Inuyasha.

When she arrived at the door, she took a deep breath and knocked a few times. There were slow scuffles of feet over the wooden floor, and the television sounded like it was blaring. When Kagome opened the door, Sango’s chest grew tight at the sight of her and her environment. Her apartment was a mess, Kagome’s hair was down and disheveled, a frown was marring her face, and redness was rimming her eyes.

“Hey, I brought you some comfort food” Sango said while holding up the small bag containing a quart of sweet cream ice cream. She knew that was Kagome’s favorite, and she had even brought along a tiny container of rainbow sprinkles to make her extra happy.

“Thanks Sango. Come in” Kagome responded lifelessly; Sango’s worry was increasing. Normally, she would at least try to fake happiness for everyone else’s benefit, but now she just didn’t care. Sango followed her in the living room, taking in everything around her. There were empty soda cans strewn across the place; Kagome hardly drank soda.

“I’ll get some bowls and serve us some ice cream, okay?” Sango asked. Kagome slowly nodded before plopping back down on the couch to resume watching whatever ‘reality’ show she was watching. Sango only frowned and went in the kitchen to do as she said she would. If the sight of her friend and the living room wasn’t enough to make her feel guilty, the kitchen scene ensured it. The counters were covered in take out boxes and a large pizza box. There were unwashed dishes in the sink, and by the kamis was something rotting? Sango quickly found two clean bowls in a pantry and scooped some ice cream, making sure to get larger scoops for her heartbroken friend, and dowsed both bowls with sprinkles. She threw the rest of the quart in the freezer; Kagome was going to need it apparently. Making her way back to the living room, she sat on the love seat next to Kagome, having to push over a soda can in the process.

“Thanks” Kagome breathed when her friend handed her the bowl.

“It’s the least I could do, Kagome. I haven’t really had the time to check in on you, and…I hate seeing you like this.”

Kagome only continued to watch the TV, but sighed at her friend’s statement. “I am fine. Just because my place is a mess doesn’t mean I am.”

Sango watched her as she slowly shoveled ice cream in her mouth. This was not Kagome Higurashi; she didn’t know who this person was, but they needed to give her friend back. It was clear that she needed to talk about what happened.

“Have you even been to work this week at all?” Sango asked.

“I took my worker’s week off. I’ve just been at home.”

“Well, maybe we can make plans for a girl’s day. Nails and spa sounds nice, right? It’ll be my treat.” Hell, Kagome could get a manicure _and_ pedicure if it cheered her up; she would do anything to see her friend stop wearing that blank look on her face. She only continued to stare at the screen and eat, as if she hadn’t paid attention to a thing Sango just said. Sango turned her head around and surveyed the place once more. Kagome was a neat freak, and here she was letting various items dirty up her home, and letting herself fall apart; Sango didn’t even want to think what the bathroom might look like. Her observations were interrupted when the advertisement of a sappy Lifetime movie blared through the living room. Apparently some girl cheated on her boyfriend and she wants him back. So, she’s traveling all these miles to find him again and explain her mistake. Sango’s face formed a quick scowl at the plot, but morphed to a surprised expression when she heard Kagome sniffle.

“That’s it!” Sango yelled. “I can’t take this anymore!” She snatched the remote out of her friend’s lap and turned off the TV. “Stop, stop eating!” she yelled again. Kagome slowly placed the empty bowl down on the coffee table in front of her and stared at her friend; hurt twinkling in her eyes.

“This isn’t you, Kagome! I would love to offer you some words of kindness, but considering that you won’t talk to me, I can’t! Have you even left your apartment, or have you been ordering everything in? When was the last time you breathed fresh air, huh? You know what, I honestly can’t believe this. Even when you figured out what a liar and manipulator Inuyasha is, you didn’t let yourself get this bad, and you had been talking to him longer than you’ve been talking to Kouga! You’ve only been talking to him, what, a few weeks? It’s pathetic, Kagome.” Sango instantly regretted the last sentence she spoke, and began to regret saying anything at all. She realized how harsh she must have sounded, and begged herself not to cry at her outburst. She was supposed to the helping her best friend, and here she was making it worse. Kagome finally let tears fall from her eyes, and reached for a tissue packet that was on the ground by her feet, and soon Sango would follow.

“I know. It’s pathetic” she sobbed out. “You’re right. I’ve only been talking to Kouga for a few weeks. So, why does this hurt so much?” she began to cry harder. Sango let a tear fall from her eyes and made no attempt to wipe it away; from guilt and from watching her friend cry. The two of them were going to share their pain and concerns with one another, and neither woman needed to hide what she was feeling.

“Kagome, what happened?” Sango finally asked. Kagome met her friend’s eyes that resembled her own, and took a deep breath before giving the play-by-play of Friday night. She tried to overlook the angry look in Sango’s eyes when she mentioned how Inuyasha forced himself on her and kissed her, and how Kouga caught them at the perfectly wrong moment. She pulled out her phone and showed her the message she sent to Kouga immediately following his leaving, and she explained that she called, but got no answer. On Saturday, Kagome was upset that Kouga hadn’t contacted her, but was too afraid to contact him again. On Sunday, she began to give up hope that he would every talk to her again and cried her poor eyes out. She explained that she wanted to ask for Sango’s comfort, but didn’t want to seem dependent. Realizing that she was too upset and distracted by her own thoughts, she thought it best to take the week off to get herself together. If Kouga didn’t want to talk, that was fine.

“But it’s really not fine, is it? I mean, it can’t be. Not if you’re letting your life look like this” Sango choked out, raising her hands in the air to indicate the messy place Kagome called her home. She also felt even worse, thinking that Kagome hadn’t contacted her because she didn’t need or want her help, she just didn’t want to seem pitiful. 

“I’ll live, Sango. One guy cannot change my life. This mess you see is just me comforting myself.”

“No, this is not comfort, this is distraction. You’re avoiding the problem, Kagome.”

“But” Kagome began to let fresh tears fall once more, “how do I even fix it?”

“Kagome, how do you find a way to do any of the things you do, huh? I don’t know how that brain of yours works, but you always find a way. Whether it be a way to solve a problem, a more efficient way of doing things, a way to comfort someone; even complete strangers enjoy being in your presence. Whatever it may be, you always figure something out; it’s that Higurashi fire in you coming out. Apparently I didn’t realize how much Kouga meant to you, but if he does mean so much, make something happen. I know it takes two to fix a relationship, but then again you’ve always defied the norm. Stop worrying about sounding pathetic or pushy, and show him how much you really care, Kagome. I’m beginning to think you don’t _only_ like him, there’s something else isn’t there?”

Kagome’s shoulders seemed to relax slightly at her friend’s reassuring words. This was what she needed her best friend for, but her last question caused her to tense up again. Was it really that obvious?

“I…think…I think I…might possibly…maybe…there’s a chance that I…” Sango began to laugh at her friend’s discomfort and it lightened the air.

“Spit it out, Kags!”

“Fine!” Kagome giggled “I love him. There’s no other explanation for everything I’m feeling. I know I felt strongly for Inuyasha in the past, but it doesn’t compare to what I feel for Kouga now; everything just feels so right with him. It’s like the world becomes clearer, or makes more sense when I talk to him. I’ve never felt so happy with a man before. I know it’s only been a short amount of time, but I honestly think I started to fall for him at first sight.” Seeing her friend’s lips turn upward, Kagome smiled and continued. “It must sound corny, I know, but I felt a curiosity about him the moment I saw him unconscious on the hospital bed. It can’t all be a coincidence. The instant connection we had when he woke up, meeting at Wendy’s the next day, the dinner date, riding with him on his bike, the wonderful late night conversations and text messages, the…kisses. All of that couldn’t have been for nothing. You’re right, Sango! I just have to find a way. This is only a test, and I never fail tests.” Kagome was feeling her so-called ‘fire’ rise within, and her mind was racing with ways she could fix this.

Sango immediately felt relieved at her friend’s ‘awakening’; this was the Kagome she knew. “Kagome, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to sound so rude earlier, I was just fed up. You know I love you, right?” Kagome leaned in and embraced her friend in a tight hug answering her question with actions instead of words. Both women just stayed like that for a while, as if the hug was mending everything that had separated them for the past few days.

“So, you have any clue what you’re going to do?” Sango asked after a few moments.

“I have an idea” Kagome let a mischievous smile touch her face, and Sango was curious to know what her born-again friend had up her sleeve. Before she could ask, Kagome stopped her.

“Don’t ask me what it is; I don’t want to jinx it. When it’s all said and done, I’ll tell you.” Although Sango was tempted to argue, she let it slide. Kagome would tell her when the time was right.

“Fine then, how about we start with the first obvious problem. This place is a fucking disaster, Kagome. We’re going to clean it.” Sango got up and took of her light jacket to prepare herself for house cleaning, and Kagome stood up and stretched, a smile on her face. She followed her friend to the kitchen and smelled something awful. When was the last time she took out the garbage? Sango burst out with laughter when she caught Kagome’s eyes, both thinking the same thing.

Kagome cleared her throat and spoke “Operation Clean-up number one, the garbage stage. Write this down Sango” Sango pulled out an imaginary notepad and pen, and waited for her friend to speak again. “I do know how long it’s been since I’ve taken out the garbage, but it must be detained as soon as possible. Because I think something crawled in it and died.” Both women wailed with laughter at their silliness and started stage number one of Operation Clean-up.

888

Kikyo quickly walked inside her house and slammed the door behind her. Work had been unusually hectic for a Wednesday, and she had issues of her own that she needed to attend to. She took off her white shoes and removed her scrub top leaving her in the pants and a tank top. She couldn’t believe she had been this irresponsible, and was certain that she was slowly dying from the uncertainty.

Finding herself in her bathroom, she took a box out of a plastic bag she brought home with her, and began to open it. Following the instructions, she lifted the toilet seat and sat down. Spreading her legs, she began to relieve herself; ironic considering the predicament she was in. Once she was done, she placed the stick on her bathroom counter and flushed. Putting the toilet seat back down, she sat on the lid with her head in her hands and began to wait. The box said it would only take three to five minutes, but she had heard that it can feel like the longest wait of your life. She prayed to every kami that a negative sign would be appearing on that stick.

What made this entire situation awful was that if she was pregnant, she wasn’t sure by whom. She was a week late, and had been trying all day to deduce who it could be. Knowing that she had been hopping back and forth between Inuyasha and Naraku, she had to figure out who was most likely the donor. Nearly three weeks ago, everything had started to fall apart. Naraku was becoming overly possessive, and Inuyasha postponed the wedding. If she was pregnant, she wasn’t sure for how long, but she had had the nauseous feeling lingering around her for a little while; she just hadn’t actually thrown up yet. She had been on birth control, but in the midst of all the confusion coming from both lives that she was living, they discontinued being a priority. Now, she was sure she would be suffering the consequences of unprotected sex.

What would she do? If she was pregnant, should she pretend that it was Inuyasha’s? She could have the baby, and then secretly contact Naraku for a DNA test. But if the baby was found to be Naraku’s, then what? Would he want to have anything to do with it? Kikyo didn’t think Naraku to be a family-oriented man, and hoped that if he chose not to have anything to do with it, that their baby would take on most of her looks. At least all three of them had black hair; she just prayed that the features wouldn’t scream ‘hey, I belong to someone else.’

Kikyo checked her cell phone; six minutes had passed. She blinked slowly before picking up the stick and bringing it into her line of sight.


	13. 13

Friday…

Kagome got out of her car and stepped her way to the front sliding doors of Edo ER. She was still taking her worker’s week off, so she wasn’t there to work at all. She felt ten times better than she had yesterday, thanks to Sango. She spent her entire Thursday between her apartment and the laundry mat, cleaning up. Although her confidence was back up, she still had a long ways to go, and what she was about to do was not considered legal either. Cool air and quiet televisions greeted her as she walked through the doors, and she immediately smiled at the desk worker for the day.

“Kagura” she chirped “how are you today?”

Kagura only looked up from her work and stared at the bright woman before her. Kagome had a ‘sunny cheer for the whole world to hear’ type aura today, and even though she disliked constantly happy people, she appreciated Kagome’s positivity.

“What are you going here, missy? I thought you weren’t going to be here this week” Kagura said in her usually low voice.

“I’m not. Technically, I’m not here, but I need to ask you a huge favor” Kagome responded. She clasped her hands together under her chin and prepared herself for what she was about to ask. In return, Kagura leaned her elbows on the desk and placed her clasped hands under her chin as well.

“Kagome needs something from me? What are the odds” Kagura stated with fake enthusiasm. Kagome only rolled her eyes in a playful manner and scoffed.

“Do you think I could take a look at that computer?” she asked, pointing to the desktop in front of Kagura. Kagura only cocked her eyebrow at the weird request and decided to question her actions.

“By take a look, you mean?”

“I mean” Kagome began in an excited whisper “I need to check something on the computer.”

“Like?”

“Some” she scanned the area before she responded, ensuring that no one would hear her, “information.”

“On?”

Kagome’s patience was running thin. Of course, she was not allowed to look up anything on the computer, especially when she wasn’t at work. Kagura was only doing her job, but the woman should know that she wasn’t going to do anything stupid with whatever information she needed.

“A patient” she said as calmly as she could. Kagura smirked and responded.

“No can do; patient confidentiality, honey. You are unauthorized to view any patient information of any kind, especially since you’re not ‘here.’”

“Oh, come on, Kagura! It’s just going to take me a second” she pleaded.

“Who are you trying to stalk?” Kagura asked.

“No one. Well, I just need to look up an address.”

“Nope, sounds like stalking to me.” The desk worker was enjoying getting on Kagome’s nerves. Whatever she needed, she needed it desperately.

“Well technically the person is not a patient anymore” Kagome explained. If she couldn’t get through step one of her grand master plan, then she could just kiss the idea of making up with Kouga goodbye.

“And still, that falls under patient’s right to privacy” Kagura stated. She almost felt a tinge of guilt when she saw a disappointed look appear on Kagome’s face. Kagura tried not to let it get to her, but her big brown eyes and pouted lips were about to make her give in. With a heavy sigh, she did exactly that.

“Come here” she demanded “and make this quick!” she hissed out. Kagome gave a small ‘yipee’ and made her way behind the circular desk to check files on the computer. Kagura was not going to leave her to do whatever; she wanted to see what address Kagome had needed. Kagome typed in the proper information and found Kouga’s file in no time.

“Convel, Kouga. Hey, isn’t that the guy you’ve been talking to?” Kagura whispered.

“Yes. Yes it is” Kagome answered. She quickly pulled out her cell phone and typed his address in his contact information. Now the step one was done, she needed to complete step two. She quickly clicked out of that information and smiled at her coworker.

“Thanks so much. Don’t tell anybody about this, please” she whined. Kagura only nodded and resumed wearing her blank expression. “You’re secret is safe with me, Kags.” Kags smiled wide and turned around to leave the ER. When she got outside she let out a breath of relief. She knew that getting whoever was working at the desk to access the files on the computer would be a challenge, and although Kagura was tough, her and the other woman had a good bond, so persuading her was easier. When she reached her car, she got in and immediately turned on the radio. A peppy song was on, and her confidence went up even higher while singing it. This plan had to go perfectly; otherwise she would probably not get a second chance. Kouga hadn’t contacted her all the entire week, and even though she was scared of rejection, she feared not trying even more.

888

“Nah, I’m staying in tonight” Kouga drawled into the phone. He, Ginta and Hakkaku, and a few other guys were all invited to a party at some girl’s house tonight, and as _inviting_ as it sounded, he really didn’t want to go.

“There are going to be so many chicks there!” Hakkaku responded “you can’t be a hermit crab for the rest of your life.”

This statement automatically upset Kouga. He had never been a so-called hermit crab in his entire life. “Just because I don’t want to go to one party does not mean that I’m a hermit crab you jackass!” he hung up the phone after that statement and laid it back on the kitchen table. That was the second time he had snapped on one of his friends this week. Earlier that week, Ginta had asked how the date went, and when Kouga refused to give details, Ginta pestered him and called him out on being too ‘punk’ to get up Kagome’s skirt. Of course he had no clue what had actually happened, and Kouga damn sure wasn’t going to explain either. Hell, he wasn’t even sure he understood the entire situation himself. What he knew for sure was that Kagome had not tried to contact him since that night, and that _really_ bothered him. Why hadn’t she tried to call again? Was she afraid to? It would make sense if she was; after all, he didn’t respond to her first text message or call whatsoever. So, she probably felt discouraged from contacting him again. Kouga mentally scolded himself for making her feel that way for the umpteenth time. He was a mature adult, and there was no reason why he should be running from her like this. No! He wasn’t running, he was only giving himself time to think things through. He scolded himself again for lying; when did he become so unsure about things?

Kouga supposed he could get the answer to his questions if he actually asked them. But that involved calling Kagome, and he wasn’t sure if he should do that right now. The longer he went without talking to her, the lonelier he felt. He had gone back to his everyday schedule, and Kagome was no longer a part of it. And he had found that without texting or calling her, life felt…boring. He missed that damn woman so much, and he felt like a complete punk for not calling her sooner. The longer he waited the less confidence he had to call her first. This entire mess was all too confusing. According to her text message, what Kouga thought he saw wasn’t actually what it looked like. Either she was lying and pulling that cliché ass card, or something else really _had_ happened.

“Shit” he cursed aloud. Enough was enough. He wasn’t any kind of man to kill himself with unanswered questions. When he wanted something, he got it. Since he wanted answers, he would get them; even if that meant hearing her tortuously sweet voice over the phone. Tonight would be the night he would call her. They needed to talk things out, and if she wasn’t lying, he seriously needed to apologize.

888

“Outfit, check. Food, check. Address…

Kagome checked her phone for the last time to ensure she had Kouga’s address in her phone. It wasn’t as if it was going to magically disappear, but just to make sure…

“Check” she concluded. Part two of her plan had been achieved. The first step was getting the address; the second step was everything she had to do at home. Kagome checked herself in her bedroom mirror one last time. There was no way he’d refuse to listen to her as long as she was looking like this. For part three of her plan, she chose to wear a short, white leather mini skirt that flowed; not forgetting to adorn the waist band with a golden cross belt, a black crop top that showed a small portion of her lower abdomen, and a black pair of pumps to make her long legs stand out. She let her hair fall loose around her, and applied a tiny amount of eye liner to finish the overall bad girl look. Feeling satisfied with her attire, she grabbed her small clutch purse and waltzed to the kitchen. She picked up a thermos bowl of her one of a kind miso and oden soup. This was supposed to be the meal Kouga was going to eat on their date, but that didn’t quite work out. She made sure she had everything she was going to need. According to a map, Kouga lived on the outskirts of eastern Tokyo. Her apartment almost being in the heart of the city guaranteed that this was about to be a long drive, a little over an hour maybe; not that she minded. Kagome had been over-anticipating seeing Kouga again, and earlier that week, she hadn’t thought that was going to happen. But she decided to take matters into her own hands, and if that meant surprise visiting him, then so be it.

When she reached her car, she got in and turned on some more confidence boosting tunes to jam to on her way to Kouga’s place. She had a good feeling about tonight, and one thing was for sure, when Kagome had premonitions about things, she was never wrong.

888

“Don’t go in there!”

_TV: POW POW POW_

“Man, I tried to tell you.” Kouga had no idea exactly what he was watching, but he was sitting in his living room lounging on the couch, flipping channels; whatever was going on had caught his interest.  Some man was on the run from an underground gang, and his friends had been trying to help him out. Now each of them was dying one by one; the plot was right up Kouga’s ally. It was nearing eight o’clock and he still hadn’t called Kagome like he decided he would earlier. He sighed heavily at his cowardice and shook his head while staring at the TV. Every hour that passed was time he was wasting. He had literally done everything else in the house that day: cook for himself, clean, laundry, made sure his bills and account were up to par, wash his bike. There was truly nothing in his way from calling that woman, yet he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Kouga would roll over ten times before admitting he was afraid of what she would say. If Kagome was being honest, then what he saw was an accident and they could talk once again. But if she was going to tell him that she had been with someone else intentionally, then that meant he couldn’t talk to her. He desperately wanted the former of the two, but he had always prepared himself for the worst.

It was then that he heard his doorbell ring, and he immediately tensed. He had already told the boys he wasn’t going to party, and he certainly hadn’t talked to anyone else that day. So who the hell was visiting him? Muting the television, he got up and prayed to every kami that it was not Seri. Although he was harsh with the girl, he still didn’t have the heart to apologize. Deep down, a part of him felt that she needed to hear those words, and another part chided himself for being so rude; she had helped him after all. But he felt that it was for her own personal gain. Whether he was right or wrong, he wasn’t apologizing tonight.

When he reached his door it dawned on him that he no shirt on with his stiches showing, and his hair was down. He was definitely in a vulnerable state, but it was too late to turn back now. When he looked out the keyhole, he mouthed a curse to the air, and prepared himself for whatever was about to ensue. Opening the door, he tried to hide his shock at what she had on, and hoped he could hold the impassive façade just a little bit longer; but she looked like sin standing on her doorstep. Sin he wouldn’t mind committing.

“Kagome” he spoke with little surprise in his voice “what’s up?”

888

“This is the place” Kagome spoke to herself. The drive to Kouga’s had been long, just as she deduced. When she arrived, she noticed that fewer homes started to appear on this side of town. She remembered Kouga telling her a while ago that he enjoyed his solitude, and liked not having too many neighbors. When she found the house, she was impressed with the size. It was sitting on a small incline, so there were steps to climb to get to the door. The driveway was sloped as well, but Kagome decided to park a small distance away from the mailbox instead. She grabbed the bowl and breathed deeply before getting out of her car. Her heart was pounding each step she took closer to the door. What if he wasn’t home? What if he turned her away? Before she knew it, she was at the door, and knew that now was not the time for hesitation. She didn’t do all that she did today to back down now. She pressed the small bell next to the door and waited. She couldn’t hear any sound from the inside, and no shuffling of feet, and began to feel stupid.

‘He probably already has plans’ she thought. After all, it was Friday night. She was seconds away from turning around and running back to her car, but when she heard a shift and a click, she froze.

“Kagome, what’s up?”

She had no idea what to say. She had rehearsed this moment so many times at home, and here she was drawing a complete blank on her speech, kami’s help her.

“Oh, just around and about, chilling.” ‘What the fuck, Kagome?’ she thought immediately. ‘Around and about, chilling!?’ What a way to sound lame. Her confidence level was about to plunge too. Kouga had an expression on his face that she couldn’t read. It was a combination of annoyance and blankness, and it was making her nervous.

“That’s…good. I guess” Kouga responded. ‘I guess?’ ‘Why the hell did I say that?’ Why was her presence all of a sudden making him uneasy? There were so many emotions and thoughts flowing through his mind, and it was bringing on a head ache. He tried his best not to smile at her attire; damn she looked so good. ‘Stop!’ he told himself. She was probably only here to talk, and talking did not mean making out, or anything else. But by every kami why would she wear something so inviting and come over at such a suggestive hour if she only wanted to talk?

“Kouga” Kagome said abruptly. When Kouga heard his name, he broke himself out of his less than appropriate thoughts; now was not the time

“Yes?” he responded.

“Did you hear anything I said?” Kagome asked flatly. Kouga’s cheeks heated up. Oh man, had she been talking? He was so focused on her appearance that it hadn’t occurred that she was speaking to him. And holy crap, she was _speaking_ to him! Kagome was here in the flesh and blood, and she was speaking to him. How long had he wanted to call her? How much had he missed her voice? How many times had he thought about her at night when everything was quiet? When was there ever a time when she wasn’t on his mind?

“I’m sorry. I wasn’t paying attention” he shook his head quickly and stepped to the side. “Would you like to come in?”

888

That was the million dollar question.

‘He looks…delicious’ she thought. She was trying her best to train her eyes to stay on his face, but it was impossible. His hair was down, which casted a godly look to his facial features and blue eyes; it almost made him look older. He had on sweat pants, and kami, no shirt! The stiches were still there, and it added a dangerous look to his person. Those arms, those tattoos, those muscles…his lips.

“Yes, thank you” she said quickly, and walked through the doorway past him. When she heard the door close behind her, her stomach began to do flips. She hadn’t spoken to him because she was too afraid to call again, and here she was, in his home, which was actually quite nice. It had a traditional Japanese feel to it, and felt cozy.

“Like?” he asked.

“What?” she responded, not quite understanding the question. When she was in the living room, she saw that the TV was playing some kind of action packed drama, and it was dimly lit.

“The place. My granddad had good taste, and I didn’t feel like changing it anyway” he explained. Kouga had stepped in front of Kagome once they reached the open space of the living room, and Kagome’s breath hitched when she saw the tattoo on his back. Kouga probably hadn’t noticed that he had flipped his hair over his shoulders, and she could get a full view of his ink now. It was several curved, black lines on his back, starting with right below the nape of his neck, and in the midst of all those lines was a small silhouette of a wolf howling at a full moon. It was intricately done, and it looked as if it had taken hours and days; which it probably did.

“Kagome” Kouga spoke suddenly. Kagome snapped out of her thoughts and felt her face heat up when she realized he must have been talking to her.

“Yes?” she responded. Kouga gestured for her to have a seat on the couch, and joined her; making sure that he was on the opposite end as far as he could get. He wasn’t trying to express displeasure at her visit, but he didn’t want to show excitement either. So he attempted to keep up that indifferent mask he wore so poorly, and if that meant sitting far away from her so that her creamy legs and thighs wouldn’t tempt him, then so be it.

“Well” she cleared her throat, and handed over the bowl she had brought in with her. When he took it and popped the lip off lightly, the aroma of soup hit his nose. It was his favorite.

“It’s oden and miso. An introduction to my explanation” she paused “and apology.”

Kouga felt his chest tighten when she said ‘apology.’ Was she here to apologize for lying to him? Because if so, she could take herself and her food out of his house. Setting the bowl down on the low table in front of him, he turned his body towards hers and looked her dead in the eyes. He had been craving answers since that night, and here she was to answer him. He prepared himself for the words he didn’t want to hear.

Kagome’s stomach was turning like a hamster on a wheel when he locked his gaze on hers. He was intent on what she had to say, and she prayed he would believe her. Clearing her already mucous-free throat, she began to speak, never breaking his gaze.

“I’m sorry, Kouga. What you saw was me in another man’s lap, and we were kissing.” She saw his jaw tighten and she quickly followed her last sentence with the ‘punch line.’ “What you thought it meant, was where you’re wrong. I was waiting for you to come by, and instead of you showing up at my door, my…boss slash ex decided to show up.” Upon finishing that statement, she saw confusion on his face, and inhaled deeply before giving a sublimated explanation of Inuyasha. While explaining, she saw relief wash over Kouga, but not fully. It was almost as if he was waiting for a catch.

“And my best friend’s boyfriend, Inuyasha’s best friend, came to pick him up soon after you left.” Closing her eyes, she lifted her hands up and continued to speak. “I promise you, Kouga. It was not what it looked like. I have no feelings for him anymore, and I was just as upset as you were when he came by and did what he did. Everything just happened at the wrong moment, and I am sorry you had to see it. I wanted to curse Inuyasha a long time ago, but he’s my boss. But he wasn’t there because I asked him to be, nor did I want him to be. I would never do that to you.” She finished off her long speech and took deep breaths trying to regain all that she had lost in her summary. It was quiet in the house, except for the low drawl of what sounded like the heater, and Kagome was growing edgier at each passing second. Kouga still didn’t break her gaze, and continued to stare at her in such a way that she couldn’t pick out what he was feeling. ‘Damn it, talk!’ she silently pleaded.

“Why?”

She was confused at his question and didn’t notice herself scoot closer to him on the couch. “What do you mean why?” she asked softly.

“Why would you never do that to me?” he retorted. He believed her, he really did, but he wanted to know why she was doing any of this? Was she trying to save her reputation in his eyes, or what? He noticed her eyes soften when she spoke.

“Why would I? I have no fault with you. You’ve taken me out, and treated me so nicely. You haven’t held back with me, and it makes me glad to know that you trust me. You…you are just the funniest, realest person I know. You listen to me, and you understand; goodness you always understand. There’s nothing I can’t tell you. I avoided telling you everything about Inuyasha because he’s just that irrelevant to me now.” Kagome felt her heart quicken at the words she was about to say, but let her confidence lead the way; that still didn’t stop her voice from shaking slightly. “I-I’ve never felt so strongly about any man, or Inuyasha, the way I do about you. I know it hasn’t been that long, but Kouga…I…just…I need… _damn._ ” Kagome was having a hard time getting this out, and she felt as if she was a nervous high school girl confessing her crush instead of a grown woman admitting her feelings. In the midst of her explanation, she had scooted even closer, so that her bottom was in the middle of the couch, and Kouga too had scooted closer. So, close in fact that he touched her hand. Deciding that wasn’t enough contact, he pulled her into him, and leaned in close to her face.

“Come on, Higurashi. Say it” he demanded lowly. He wasn’t dumb; she was trying to admit something. And if she would say it, then he’d say it too. Never in his life would he have imagined he could…he wasn’t even going to think it until she said it!

“Kouga” she said his name softly, making him lean closer. Their lips were about to touch, but he purposely lingered. “I-I love you” she bit out, and then worried her bottom lip the way she always did when she wasn’t sure how something was going to end. Her worries were taken away however when she felt his lips, soft and insistent on her own. It wasn’t a slow or sweet kiss he was giving her. It was like he was conveying his feelings through his actions; passionate and unrelenting, and it made her spine tingle. Now instead of listening to the drone of the heater, the sound of wet lips and breathing sounded through the room, and it was driving her mad with excitement.

“Kagome” he never stopped kissing her “I love you too.” Kouga felt her lips still on his, and he pulled back to look into her eyes. All that was there was certainty and warmth, and it touched him.

“How the hell did we let this happen?” she asked with a slight rasp in her voice from lust. Kouga only laughed and smirked at her question, and leaned back in to nuzzle her neck. She smelled so nice, like raspberries and tea. When he felt her neck tilt, inviting him to do more, he placed a small kiss on her neck, and enjoyed the sigh she released.

“How the hell did I let you get to me?” he asked between kisses to her neck.

“How” she moaned “the hell do you expect me to know that, K-Kouga?” His kisses were becoming more needy and wet; driving her up the wall. She gave an open mouthed moan when he trailed his tongue from the base of her neck to her ear. Her hands immediately shot to his hair when he continued to pay attention to her neck and ears.

“I don’t” he groaned when he felt her fingers massage his scalp and bite into him tauntingly “fucking know.” He wanted to feel those nails press into his back while he was on top of her, begging him to make her release. He wanted to feel those nails claw at his arms when she was on top of him, riding them both into painful pleasure. He wanted to feel those nails dig farther into his scalp when he was between her smooth thighs, tasting her. He wanted her.

“Kagome” he breathed, and pushed her farther down so that she was beneath him. He felt her breasts through her top on his bare chest, and ached to know what her nipples would feel like against his skin. The more she moaned, the more aggressive he came. He was surprised at his own feelings, but these were the things that he had thought about doing to her long before this moment. Tonight, he hoped he would make them reality.

888

He knew he had to do it, but he just didn’t want to.

Miroku had explained to him the stupid things he did at Kagome’s and how her date caught them kissing, and he immediately felt like shit. He was only out with a couple other guys complaining about their girls that night, and drank too much for his own liking. It was a wonder he didn’t cause an accident on the way to her place. Things were a blur after he left the bar, and he needed someone to explain what happened. When he woke up that Saturday morning with a hangover and a flimsy stomach, he quickly texted his friends to ask what the hell he did. Most of them told him he left, but that he hadn’t told them _where_ he was going. Inuyasha felt a little uncared for that his ‘friends’ would let him drive drunk, then again, he wasn’t sure if he was exhibiting just how inebriated he was. When he received a text from Miroku asking _‘Is your sorry ass up yet?’_ he knew that he had done something wrong.

He was, needless to say, embarrassed at his own actions. He was drunk and acting like a horny dog when he went to her place. He also corrected Miroku by telling him that he remembered Kagome biting the shit out of his lip to get away from him, and felt even worse upon confessing. Miroku, being his enlightened and peaceful self, enticed him to call Kagome and apologize, and he knew damn well that he ought to.

So why couldn’t he?

He didn’t know either. He himself ruined his own plan to ‘woo’ her, or whatever it was he was trying to do. It was obvious now that she had no feelings for him any longer. Honestly, he knew that when she turned down his ‘apology date’ over a text message. But he missed her so much, he missed her confidence and warmth; something he could never get with Kikyo.

That led him to the other issue. Kikyo.

She was not currently speaking to him. Wondering why she had gone AWOL on him again he swung by her place a few days ago, and noticed that she was acting all strange and looking funny. When he tried to ask her why, she simply said that she had some ‘things’ to sort out, and that she would contact him when she was ready to talk about those ‘things.’ Whatever the hell that was supposed to mean.

He was not satisfied with her answer, and continued to pry her on what was wrong. He reminded her that she was his fiancée, and that she could tell him anything. For some reason, that had angered her further, and she told him to leave. The two argued for a moment before he got sick of her yelling and left. Now here he was on another Friday night with absolutely nothing to do.

He supposed he could work up some courage to call Kagome and apologize, but would she even answer? Would she accept it? Would she even care? According to what Miroku told him, Kagome was really bent on this new guy of hers; Kouga he said his name was. If that was the case then she _wouldn’t_ care about his apology.

Inuyasha sighed and continued to make his way to the kitchen. The house was unusually noisy, due to the fact that Rin had some school friends over for a sleepover, and they were watching movies in the living room with Sesshomaru to supervise. If he wasn’t so pissed, he would have laughed at the sight of his stick up the ass brother sitting in a corner watching children.

And that was another issue. Sesshomaru.

Inuyasha hadn’t spoken to his brother since that fallout in his office, and it was bothering him for some reason. That wasn’t the first time the two had resorted to physical interaction instead of verbal, but that was the first time Rin had witnessed it. He figured Sesshomaru was still upset with him for upsetting Rin, but it _was_ his fault too. If only he had agreed to help him with his plan, that wouldn’t have happened.

And that was the final issue. The plan.

It was a huge failure, and there was no progress being made. He knew that he needed to give Kagome up, he needed to make things right with Kikyo, he needed to apologize to Sessh and Rin, not that Rin cared anymore. He needed to do a total reevaluation of his life and priorities. Upon reaching the kitchen, he noticed that everything in the fridge required something to be cooked, and he wasn’t good at that. He sighed heavily and grabbed his cell phone to call the closest sushi take out, but instead of dialing that number, he clicked on Kagome’s name instead.


	14. 14

It was getting heady in the room, and Kagome loved it.

She loved being on her back on Kouga’s couch while he worshiped her body, and she didn’t hold back any noise that was slipping from her mouth. She could not believe that she was about to do this. As happy as she was that Kouga had understood and forgiven her, she did not expect it to result in _this_. Yes, she had been distracted by his lack of shirt, and she was beyond moved by his words. And as much happiness she felt in the moment that he told her he loved her, she didn’t know that it would get this far. Was this happening too soon? Should they wait? They literally just started going out thirty seconds prior to all this touching.

She was actually quite excited, but she didn’t know if this was considered too soon for their situation. When she felt a set of teeth nibble at her bottom lip, her worries were staring to slip. His hands were roaming her back, causing her spine to tingle. He tilted his head to the side and began to slowly lick and bite her neck, and good _kami_ was she enjoying it. She didn’t dare suppress the small moan that escaped her mouth when he licked her ear. Her ears were an erogenous spot for her, and she felt him smirk against her skin when she let that sound go. Kagome would have laughed in false annoyance at his confidence in accidentally finding her spot, but she didn’t because she was waiting for him to do it again; which he certainly did. This time he let a slow lick around her ear canal ensue, and surprised her when he began working his tongue faster. He switched sides and gave the same treatment to her neck and her ear, reveling in her noises.

It was beautiful; hearing her like this, seeing her like this. Never had Kouga saw her lose so much composure. Kagome was never uptight, but she was never completely vulnerable. She had the right amount of control in situations, and seeing this side of her made him feel privileged; made him feel special. She arched her body against his involuntarily, and he bit his own lip at the feel of her breasts on his chest. Yes, she was still clothed, but never before had he felt the swell of them on his skin; hopefully he would at this rate. Without registering it, his hands slowly trailed from her back to her front, and gripped softly at her breasts. Kagome’s eyes snapped open and shot him a lusty glare when he began to massage them in circles. It was torture for her to feel those strong hands so close, yet so far away, and she wanted more contact. Upon realizing that would mean taking her top off, she allowed her arms to come up and grab his biceps firmly, stilling himself from his actions.

“Kouga” she breathed out. Kouga nodded quickly and removed his hands, wondering what it was that she had to tell him. She was most likely going to tell him that this was not what she wanted to do right now, and as much as he wanted to keep going, he could wait.

“I’ve never” Kagome felt her cheeks heat up, and not with lust. She was embarrassed that she was going to say this. Of course Kouga had been with plenty other women and Kagome would be lying if she said she wasn’t scared. However, there is never a right time for the truth, so better now than later, “been with anyone” she finished. She watched Kouga’s eyes widen and she bit her bottom lip in worry. “I’m sorry” she quickly added on. Silence followed that statement too, and it felt like ages before Kouga said anything in response.

“Are you saying you don’t want to do this?” he asked.

“I do, believe me I do, but you’ve been with other women and I’m so…new and inexperienced and…”

Kagome never got to finish her confession before Kouga leaned back down and kissed her so sweetly she was sure she’d be going to a dentist soon for a cavity check. It was soft and warm, inviting and secure; it eased her doubts and confused her all the same.

“I don’t care, Kagome. I’ve never had feelings for any of those girls the way I feel about you. I don’t think I’ve ever…made love to someone before. So, believe me when I say I’m the one that should be feeling new.” Kouga couldn’t believe he said something so sappy aloud, but it was the truth. Plus, he had just confessed that he loved her, so this was nothing, right? Sex with someone was just sex, but sex with someone you care about meant more than anything else.

“Then make love to me” she whispered. It was all the encouragement Kouga needed to resume his kisses to her lips and move his hands back to her breasts. She was slightly squirming underneath him every time his hands squeezed, and Kouga felt more straining in his boxers. It was then that he realized that all this clothing needed to fucking go. So, he picked her up and smiled when she laughed in surprise. He carried her back to the bedroom, his eyes not leaving hers whatsoever. She was happy, and that made him happy. When he reached his room, he kicked the door closed and softly laid her out on the bed; she was about to get all kinds of special treatment.

Kouga started with her heels. As sexy as they were on her, they needed to go. Maybe another time she would keep them on. He carefully placed both on the floor, and took one foot into his lap to massage it. He loved the bright smile Kagome gave when she saw how nicely he was treating her. He continued his actions with the other foot, and switched back and forth between the two until he was overly ready to transfer his massaging somewhere else. He ran his hands up the smooth legs he had never seen before, and he instantly wondered how they would feel on his back while he was on top of her. That thought transferred more blood south, and Kouga began growing impatient with himself. He wanted to make Kagome’s first time just right, so he would not rush. Unless, of course, she wanted him too.

Climbing up her body, his hands found the hem of her top and slowly began to push upward; her skin was so damn smooth and soft. Kagome’s arms and torso came up to let her shirt be removed, and she had to restrain a smug smile when Kouga eyed her breasts. For starters, her bra was strapless, and it was black, Kouga’s favorite color. Since she was a teenager, she knew that she had a nice chest. Sometimes her friends would point that fact out by saying they were jealous, and some ridiculous high school boys would mention it too. But none of those comments and compliments combined could match Kouga’s expression at that moment. His eyes were wide again, and he was biting his bottom lip, just staring. “You can touch them you know?” she said jokingly. Kouga looked in her eyes and smirked before laying her back on her back and grabbing his new obsessions in his hands.

 

            Kagome moaned loudly at the feeling of something warm and wet massaging her nipple. Kouga’s tongue had a slight roughness to it that she hadn’t noticed until it was applied to something so sensitive. She let a hand come up and cover her mouth the more he continued with his actions. This was supposed to be minor, right? She didn’t want to sound like some pleasure-depraved woman who was turned on by the slightest of things, but she was surprised when Kouga’s hand came up to bring hers down.

“Don’t do that. I want to hear you.”

His words sent another shiver up and down Kagome’s spine, and soon she was letting out soft moans and breaths from his actions, no longer holding back. His tongue caresses traveled lower and lower until he was right in front of an important spot. Kagome had never experienced this before, and was nearly shaking in excitement as Kouga smirked up at her with a ‘I know what I’m doing’ look, and went down. She let out a long, open mouthed moan when she felt his hot tongue on the most sensitive part of her, and immediately wanted to feel more.

Kouga groaned in appreciation when he felt two hands grab the back of his hands and push him further. It had to be a sin for him to enjoy this _this_ much. He opened his eyes and looked up and felt himself harden even more when he saw a pair of full breasts heaving up and down, and a beautiful face contorted in pleasure tossing side to side. The feeling of being in between her smooth thighs was a turn on, and he decided to pick up the pace of his actions.

Kagome groaned loudly when she felt his tongue begin rapid movements on her, and she dug her nails into his scalp as if she were holding onto him for support. She then felt a finger slide its way in and she rounded her hips as Kouga twisted it inside her. Although she may be a virgin, self experimentation was not foreign to her, so the sudden intrusion of a second and third finger didn’t bother her. She knew that she was going to give in soon, and she wasn’t the slightest bit embarrassed. She’d give him everything tonight if he wanted it.

He felt her hips jerk in excitement, and he knew that she was close. He was so ready to hear her when she came, and increased his actions in pressure and speed until he heard her yell his name.“Kouga!” she cried, and spilled herself onto his awaiting fingers and tongue. He wasted no time to reveling in how good she tasted, but removed himself from his position so he could get comfortable. The boxers were no longer welcome.

Kagome couldn’t close her legs, and hardly tried as she watched Kouga stand up and take off his pants and boxers. By every heaven, she looked at him. She _really_ looked at him. Every crevice, every plane, every muscle. Everything about him was overwhelming her. His clear excitement for her brought on an ache that only he could take away. He quickly put himself on top of her, and their lips came together again in a passionate kiss.

“Kouga” she moaned “I need you” she breathed between kisses.

“Then take me” he replied lowly, and she felt him at her opening. His words were so enticing, and she wouldn’t resist. He pushed in slowly, and she felt the uncomfortable feeling of being stretched in such a way, but refused to back down now. By the time he was fully in, she was clenching his arms, using them as stress balls. Her toes were curled and her teeth clenched at the painfully pleasurable feeling of being filled. The pain was a part of this now, but dear kami when it went away…

His thrusts were deep, slow, and careful. Kagome knew he was capable of so much more, and when she looked up at his face, she saw how hard he was trying to hold back, for her sake. She felt so powerful knowing that she affected him this way; that she made him weak the way he made her. She closed her eyes and breathed, feeling every movement he made. The slow pace was becoming difficult to bare. She wanted him to lose control over her. She wanted to hear him groan and growl in the sexy way he did when he was pleased, she wanted to hear him say her name when she came for him. Where this over-confidence came from, she didn’t know; she had never done this before, but not a single doubt was in her mind when she figured out just what to do. She let a hand slip from his arm and brought it to the back of his neck to pull him down for a quick kiss.

“Kouga” she said.

“Hmm?” he replied, and kissed her again, waiting for her words.

“ _Fuck me.”_

It was such a clear command, and it would certainly be easy to follow. But had he heard her right? Earlier she asked him to make love to her, but now…

“Don’t hold back for me” she began, placing a kiss to his cheek “I want to feel every inch of you I can. I want you to…”

She hadn’t gotten the chance to finish rambling before a deep and sharp thrust to the hilt took her words away, and she gasped.

“Like that?” he asked. It was clear that was the way she wanted it, but he wanted to hear her answer.

“Yes” she breathed out, putting more emphasis on the ‘s.’ When he thrust again and hit a spot she knew would bring her to an end, she answered again. “ _Yes_.” He grabbed a leg and brought it up over his shoulder and thrust again.

“Yesss” she hissed. And soon, the bed was creaking, and the room was filled with unregistered moans and curses, and skin meeting skin. Kouga was beyond happy, and only a little surprised by her confidence in bed, considering this was her first time. But if there was anything he learned about the woman he loved, it was that she was certainly confident, and never one to underestimate. So, he didn’t hold back; each thrust had an objective, and that was to bring her to a bone shaking climax. He was dying to hear her scream his name; there was a tingling in the pit of his stomach that he couldn’t justify as anticipation or impending climax; it was probably both. Never had he felt a buildup as strong as the one he was feeling now, and he knew it was because he loved her, and he was her first. Every circumstance was a huge turn on to him, and he knew that he couldn’t hold on much longer.

“Kagome, _fuck_ ” he groaned as she moaned louder for him. His movements were getting quicker, harder, and more desperate as he thrust in her. Her sounds were increasing in pitch as he continued. It was hot, damn everything was hot, and neither one of them cared. They were both trying to reach a goal, and they weren’t going to quit until it was reached.

“Kouga, I’m…!” Kagome began, she couldn’t finish her sentence due to lack of breath. She was sure he got the point when her nails dug deeper into his muscular back. One of his hands went between their bodies and landed on her sensitive pearl and began to stroke rapidly with a thumb.

“Yes”  Kouga hissed “Do it for me.”

Her body must have heard that husky command, because mere seconds after he spoke, her back arched and her mouth opened to cry the name of the man responsible.

“Kouga!” she screamed arching her back, and a series of yells/screams poured from her mouth. Tears pricked the corners of her eyes at how good she felt; she was sure she could die from all this pleasure. She bit her lip and moaned loudly when she felt a warm sensation flood the insides of her, and raspy groans and a curse above her. Both lay there panting heavily, as if they couldn’t believe what they just felt, and Kagome had never felt more complete in her life. The feeling of being full of Kouga was overly satisfying, and she didn’t want to break the connection.

Kagome was still panting beneath him, and he leaned up to kiss her lazily before pulling out. He missed her as soon as he left her, but went to his bathroom to get a warm wash cloth for her. It only took him some seconds before he was back, and wiping between her legs. Discarding the wash cloth to the laundry baskets across the room, he pulled the bed covers back and threw them over her.

“You okay?” he asked, joining her.

“More than okay” she responded. “Where did you learn to do that?”

Kouga gave a hearty laugh and pulled her into a spooning position, enjoying the feeling of her body against his. How many nights had he wished he was holding her like this? Now that it was finally happening, Kouga felt relieved that he wouldn’t have to worry about that anymore. Kagome could come over any time she liked, and he’d hold her for as long as he wanted.

“Oh, you know, the internet has taught me a lot” he responded.

“Eww, Kouga!” Kagome laughed out. The couple laughed for a few more moments before a comfortable silence followed. They were completely content with life right now, and nothing could change that.

“To think that I almost tried to change my shift from that night” Kagome said. Kouga responded with a ‘hmm’ in confusion and she went to explain.

“The night you came into the emergency room. I don’t like working the weekends in the ER, and I had tried to change my schedule from that night to the next, but I wasn’t allowed.” Silence followed her explanation, but soon Kouga held her body tighter before kissing her forehead softly. It was such a sweet gesture; such a sweet moment. Until…

“My dick is so glad you didn’t”

“Oh my god, Kouga!!”


	15. 15

            “Wipe that smirk off your face. You know, I’m beginning to think you’ve been spending too much time around me, you closet pervert.”

“I am no such thing! But come on, doesn’t it sound likely?”

“I’m not trying to think about my friend’s sex life, Sango.”

“That’s new, since you always like to be in somebody’s sexual business. But Kagome didn’t tell me what was going to happen; just that she’d fill me in when it did. I called her three times last night and she didn’t answer. But she _did_ text me this morning with like, a billion exclamation marks and some smiley faces. And when I asked her what happened, she said ‘it.’”

“’It’ could be a lot of things, dear. Maybe Kouga finally said that he loved her or that he wanted to be with her.”

“Yes, Miroku. And then they had hot sex afterwards. No woman is going to sit down and press the exclamation mark that many times if she didn’t get any.”

Miroku howled in laughter at his girlfriend’s accurate conclusion. Maybe, just maybe, Kagome and Kouga finally sealed the deal; in more ways than one.

“We’ll just have to wait and see. Meanwhile, don’t you have somewhere to be?” he asked.

Sango only huffed and put her dirty plate in the sink before grabbing her coat and keys. Today was the big day; the heart transplant. There was no telling how many hours she’d be gone; she might not even be home until tomorrow. Waltzing over to where her love was sitting at the kitchen table, she straddled his hips and kissed him continuously.

“What are you going to do all day since I’ll be gone?” she asked between kisses.

“Oh you know…the usual. I’ll be nice and do your laundry since you’ll be gone, lunch with Inuyasha, wash my car…”

“What?” Sango deadpanned in a low voice, pulling away from Miroku’s lips.

“I said I need to wash my car. There’s so many dead insects stuck to my windshield, which is odd. It is winter season, and I don’t see how-“

“No! You know that’s not what I meant. You’re having lunch with Inuyasha today?”

Of course she’d be upset he was spending time with the man responsible for nearly ruining Kagome’s love life, but Inuyasha was still his friend.

His idiotic, immature, temperamental friend.

“He said he wanted to talk” he explained.

“Talk…my ass!”

In response to her rude comment, Miroku smacked his girlfriend’s butt and laughed at the tiny squeal she gave as she got up.

“I won’t stop being a friend, Sango. You know better than to think anything different.” Sango nodded her head after thinking over his words, and kissed him goodbye. She wasn’t looking forward to being away from him so long, but she was ready to get this surgery over with. Miroku sighed knowing that he wouldn’t see her until that night, or most likely the next day. He went back to the table eating his breakfast and pondered over what Inuyasha told him on the phone this morning.

_“I have to make things right. And I swear if you say I told you so…”_

_“I…wont. But the only way to make things completely right is to be honest with everyone; that includes Kikyo. And that means you need to tell her about not wanting to get married. You need to tell her that you postponed the wedding to pursue old feelings with Kagome. You need to man up and take responsibility for your actions.”_

_“She’d never want to see me again.”_

_“…maybe that would be for the best, Inuyasha. Do you even truly love her?”_

_“…”_

_“Hello?”_

_“I don’t know, Miroku! Sometimes I think I do, and sometimes I…”_

_“Love is not a ‘sometimes’ thing. It’s either all the time, or nothing. If you’re not one hundred and ten percent that you love Kikyo then there is no use in getting married. Marriage won’t make the love stronger if it’s not already strong.”_

_“I suppose I should take your word for it. This isn’t going to be easy.”_

_“It’ll be the farthest thing from easy.”_

_“I know. I’ll call you tonight and let you know how it goes.”_

So, no. Miroku did not have a lunch date with Inuyasha today as he had told Sango. His plans for the day were something he had to keep a secret.

888

“Your clothes are big.”

“Your body is small.”

“Hey, I’m a decent size.”

“Mhm, yes you are.”

The brand new couple was in Kouga’s kitchen playing around and getting breakfast ready. After last night’s events, the two both needed food, and fast. Kouga chose to heat up the miso and oden Kagome brought over and eat that for breakfast.

“Miso and oden for breakfast?” Kagome asked. “I mean, I love oden but…”

“Well you don’t have to eat it. That’s why I’m making you waffles and bacon.”

Kagome hopped of the counter parallel to her boyfriend and held up her bottoms as she walked over to plant a kiss on his cheek. She didn’t have a change of clothes in the car, and she didn’t feel like putting on yesterday’s outfit. So Kouga gave her one of his t-shirts and a pair of his boxers to throw over her body. Of course everything was loose on her.

“You’re so sweet” she cooed. She went over to the corner to look at the coffee machine. “How do you want your coffee?”

“Black.”

Kagome didn’t know why, but that made her laugh too hard. Everything with Kouga had to be black; clothes, vehicles, plates and ‘silverware’, and even his coffee.

“The fuck’s funny?” Kouga laughed out.

“Your obsession with black. And are you sure you don’t want any creamer or sugar?”

“Nope. I’m perfectly fine with black. Creamer takes away the black, and sugar ruins the bitterness.”

“Why did that sound like lyrics to a song? Emo maybe?”

“It’s hardcore metal, thank you very much. I don’t even own creamer.”

“And you’re all out of sugar” Kagome declared when she looked in a jar that was labeled ‘SUGAR.’

“I’m guessing you won’t be drinking coffee then?” he asked with a smirk on his oh so handsome face.

“I’ll stick with orange juice or milk.”

“Don’t have those either.”

“You don’t have anything!”

“I wasn’t expecting visitors!”

“Are you serious!? Not even milk?”

“Oh, I got some milk for you” he drawled out. His hands let go of the spatula when he felt a sharp smack to the back of the head that could have only been Kagome’s palm. He cried out in surprise when she did it, but laughed because he knew he deserved it.

“You’re gross.”

“So now I’m gross? I certainly wasn’t gross last night when I was giving you your milk.”

Both erupted in laughter and Kagome smacked his arm this time. Making sure everything was on the table, she grabbed the black plates for Kouga to put the waffles and bacon on, and settled with a bottle of water instead of his ‘milk.’ The two talked and joked and discussed plans for the day.

“Well I don’t have to go to work” Kagome stated while chewing.

“But I do” Kouga followed with disappointment in his voice. Honestly he just wanted to spend the day curled up with his woman in his bed. He didn’t want to go to work anyway, and he certainly didn’t want to risk seeing Seri. He should just call off; he wasn’t financially crippled anyway.

“But I think I’ll just call off” he finished. He felt his heart swell with appreciation when Kagome looked up from her plate with a huge smile on her beautiful face covered with crumbs.

“Damn, when was the last time you ate? There’s plenty more, just take your time” he joked.

“Shut the hell up.”

“Oh, I just love your dirty mouth.”

“Kouga! We’re eating!”

“I’m just being honest.”

The two continued to eat and pass sexual innuendoes across the table, but soon Kagome’s teasing became serious. She was taking an extra long time pulling the fork out of her mouth, and she was moaning about how good everything tasted. When she finally declared that she wished she had some milk to go with it, Kouga had had enough.

“Yep. I’m definitely taking off today.”

888

Quiet. Exactly how he liked it.

The trees were rustling slightly in the wind causing the remaining cherry blossoms to scatter. Since it was cold, snow would be falling soon, and the trees were becoming scarce with their normal beauty. At least the air still smelled fresh and void of any pollution. There were a few chirping noises filling the clearing with the shrine in the middle, and Miroku concluded that today couldn’t have been a more perfect day to visit.

It took a full three hours to get from Tokyo to Osaka, but since Sango wouldn’t be home for the weekend, he could do this and not have to explain where he had been. The clearing still looked the same from the last time he visited, and he was grateful that no one had come messing with the shrine. His family’s shrine was in a quieter area in the city of Osaka, and he came to honor his father. He was only a child when his father passed, and it still hurt Miroku to this day to think about it. Then again, the pain never truly leaves; it just dulls to a more tolerable level. Miroku felt ashamed that he hadn’t bothered to visit in nearly two years, but the more demanding life became at home, the less he felt the need to sit down and talk to his father’s ashes. Although he couldn’t make up for lost time with one visit, now was the best time to do so. Sitting cross legged in front of the shrine he fixed his eyes on the small urn sitting in the entrance. It was a little filmy from the wind blowing all kinds of particles around, but other than that it was okay. He inhaled deeply and exhaled, closing his eyes in the process. All this stress back home has given him very little time to clear his mind and find peace.

“Father, I know I haven’t visited very much, but I’m here now.”

He continued to inhale and exhale, dwelling on the positive energy this place gave him. Every time he came, memories of home and childhood would flood his mind. They were all bittersweet; mom, dad, friends. But people moved on in life, so there was no sense in staying dormant forever.

“I’ve been putting a lot of thought into it, and I’ve made a decision.”

He took another deep breath and smiled. Bittersweet indeed.

“I’ve finally decided to settle down. You always told me that finding a good woman is better than having an abundance of poor ones. I guess your words have finally sunk in. I know that you’re not here to approve of her, but I know you would. Sango, she’s…everything I could ever want. She’s smart, determined, and so strong. Most importantly she can put up with me; I don’t see anything wrong with her. It’s been two years already, and I want to spend the rest of my life with her. So I figure you would want to know, and I know you would give her your blessing if you were here.”

It didn’t register, but a single tear had slipped down in happiness. No one knew yet, but soon, Sango would be the one he would spend all of his days with. If only his parents were here to see it.

888

Life just couldn’t get any better than this.

He was beyond lucky to be in the position he was in…literally.

Kagome looked beautiful on top of him, moving around desperately to seek relief. After breakfast, the couple decided to shower. Well, showering got a little dirty, and now here Kouga was; on his back with his beautiful, and still wet, girlfriend riding him. Once again, it had to be a sin for him to enjoy this _this_ much. She was upright with her hands clung to his chest, and she was giving it everything she had. And everything she had was about to send him over the edge.

“Come on, give it to me” Kouga groaned while he grabbed her breasts in his hands. She responded with a high pitched moan. He had learned really quickly that dirty talk was something she enjoyed, and he enjoyed doing it. He thrust his hips up to meet hers and reveled in her curses and moans. Definitely a sin. It wasn’t long before she came for him, and he followed her. _Kami_ , she was beautiful with her hands thrust in her hair, pulling for leverage. She was still slowly grinding on him, making sure she had all he could give her. When she tried to move off him, her legs wobbled a bit, and Kouga sat up to help her lay on top of him. Grabbing a blanket, he cuddled with her and whispered sweet nothings in her ear.

“I love you, Kagome.”

“And I love you, Kouga.”

Hearing her say those words with his name was almost as exciting as hearing her scream his name. It was those words that truly touched his heart. He was sure that Kagome was the woman for him. He was thankful that he decided to go bike racing with his idiot friends that night, and he was glad that Kagome had decided to work that night as well. Meeting her was one of the best things to happen to him in a very long time.

888

“I completely understand if you want to end this relationship. I haven’t been honest, and I really don’t want to get married. And not just to you, I don’t want to get married at all. I’m clearly not ready for something so serious. I’m sorry I wasted all your time, Kikyo. I still care about you, but this thing with us was a disaster to begin with.”

And so he had commenced his speech. It felt like it had taken hours for him to explain his actions, but in reality, it had taken nearly ten minutes. Ten minutes to explain the twelve months of confusion he had been feeling. Ten minutes to explain his lies. Ten minutes of looking at her pale, shocked face. Ten minutes of utter shame.

Miroku had been right; this wasn’t easy in the slightest, but it needed to be done. In order to fix everything he had undone, he needed to come clean and start over. But that couldn’t happen until he was honest with everyone, even himself. He braced himself for a slap to the face, anything. Kikyo was a quiet woman, but he had never heard her be _this_ quiet. Not even when he admitted the embarrassing story of his pursuing of Kagome and kissing her in a drunken state; no gasp or anything. Her expression only seemed to change to a deeper level of hurt the more he talked.

And could you blame her? Her fiancé just told her that he had lied, cheated, and didn’t want to marry her anyway. You’d be hurt too.

Kikyo was processing everything Inuyasha had confessed. She thought her world had already fallen apart, but this confirmed it. She placed both her elbows on her kitchen table and buried her face in her hands. She needed to cry, but no tears would spill. She was sure her ducts had been overused the past week. Instead of crying, she breathed heavily, trying to find something to say. She had no idea what to do now that everything was screwed up. But she knew that there was no one to blame but herself.

She had pursued Inuyasha, her boss. She was the one that kept him under wraps with physicality and manipulation. She was the one that went out and met a man; a man with whom she cheated on Inuyasha with. She was the one that fell too hard for Naraku. She was the one that made him obsess over her. She was the one that would fuck Inuyasha in the morning and Naraku at night. She was the one that had caused all her suffering and pain. She was the one that had been manipulated, just as she had manipulated. She was the one that thought she was loved when she truly wasn’t. She was the one that was pregnant.

She ruined her own life.

Kikyo didn’t know when it happened, but she found herself falling to the kitchen floor from the chair. She heard her name and footsteps approach her quickly. Arms picking her up and cradling her, begging her to speak. Was this shock? An entrance to depression? Was she dying from shame? All three sounded like possibilities at this point.

“Kikyo!” Inuyasha yelled. “Kikyo, please! Say something!”

Oh yeah, Inuyasha was here. He was the one cradling her and calling her name. Inuyasha, that lying bastard. How dare he try to comfort her when he lied and cheated all this time? If he wanted the Higurashi woman so badly, he should have just said something and went to her instead of cheating.

‘No’ she thought ‘I’m the liar, and I’m the cheater. I deserve this.’

‘I deserve this’ became a chant in her head, and surprisingly, her tear ducts tied in with her emotions and allowed her to cry.

“Kikyo, kami Kikyo, I am so sorry. Please, just please!”

What was he begging her for? He hadn’t done anything wrong. Kagome Higurashi was a pretty woman, and surely much more loyal than Kikyo could ever be. Inuyasha had every right to want something better than what she could give him. Speaking of what she could give him…

“Inuyasha” she whispered.

“Yes, yes Kikyo, I’m here” he sobbed.

‘Is he crying?’ she thought.

“I haven’t been entirely honest with you either.”

Suddenly her tears had stopped, but she was still pale. She leaned herself up and looked in his eyes. Onyx, watery confusion met sad brown in a stare down. If Inuyasha could come clean, so could she.

“What are you talking about” he asked quietly. Kikyo could tell he was nervous, and so was she. But she couldn’t lose him. What she was about to do was wrong, but she couldn’t lose him. He was the only string of sanity she had left, so she felt. Only a sick, desperate person would stoop as low as she was about to. But how else could she convince him to stay?

“Inuyasha, I…I’m…”

Before she could finish her sentence, the doorbell rang, followed by three loud knocks.

She only knew one person, specifically a man, that did such a thing. 


	16. 16

            “Why the hell do you not want me to answer it?” Inuyasha asked above a loud whisper. He was going to go open the front door, but was surprised when Kikyo yanked his body back down to the kitchen floor with her. She begged him not to, for whatever reason. Her body begun to shake, and hot tears fell down her face. Just who the hell was at the door?

“Inuyasha, just please don’t. Maybe he’ll go away…”

“He? Who’s he?” he almost shrieked. Whispering was not his thing, so Kikyo pressed a cold finger to his lips to silence him. He was pissed now. Whoever this ‘he’ was had obviously been messing with Kikyo, and maybe _he_ needed a lesson taught to him. The doorbell rang again, as well as three knocks with it. But the knocks were slow and harder. Almost as if ‘he’ was using his fist to pound on the door.

“Just wait, Inuyasha. He’ll leave” Kikyo whispered. Inuyasha concluded that he wasn’t going to get any answers at the moment, and much to his displeasure he kept quiet. There was silence, and both had assumed that ‘he’ had left. It was odd. Whoever ‘he’ was must have known someone was home because Inuyasha’s car was parked right in front of Kikyo’s mailbox. This thought crossed Inuyasha’s mind, but he didn’t have much time to think on it before Kikyo’s body was wracked with violent sobs. He held her tighter and rocked her in his arms in an attempt to comfort her. He had seen Sesshomaru do this with Rin when she had a nightmare or was upset, but he wasn’t quite sure if the gesture would work on a grown woman. Maybe he could offer some words of comfort to Kikyo if he knew just what in all seven blue hells was going on!

Both were startled when a loud crash and bang was heard from the back of the house. Inuyasha immediately jumped to his feet to run to the source of the sound and heard Kikyo scream at him to stop. ‘He’ was breaking in and needed to be dealt with. Inuyasha turned a corner and saw that the window of Kikyo’s single back door had been broken in order to unlock the door from the inside. There were faint dirty footprints on the carpet suggesting someone had already come in.

So where the hell were they?

Inuyasha ran out the door and looked around the back yard. There was no one to be seen anywhere. Maybe the guy had done that just to screw with Kikyo. Not thinking about what a bad idea it was to leave Kikyo alone, Inuyasha ran to the front of the house to see if the man had parked his car. There was a single black, sleek car in the driveway with no one in it. Where had the person gone? He ran back to the back in worry that the person was somehow in the house. That thought was confirmed when he heard a piercing scream come from inside the house.

“Kikyo!” he yelled.

Time felt as if it had slowed down. It felt like Inuyasha couldn’t get to her fast enough. His heart raced as fast as his feet did, and when he reached the kitchen…

“Inuyasha” the man spoke “it’s so nice to finally meet you.”

888

“When are you going to let me go home?” Kagome asked quietly.

“I’m not” Kouga responded confidently.

The two had spent the entire Saturday in the bed. Their steaminess started that morning and had went on between small naps and intervals of watching TV; somehow all of those activities led back to them having sex. Kagome was sore, but it was a soreness that made her smile. Over and over again Kouga had proven his love and devotion to her through their physicality and massaging her afterwards.

“Don’t tell me you’re tired of me already?” Kouga asked after she didn’t speak again.

“Oh, please” Kagome spat out. She rolled over and straddled Kouga’s thighs once again and began to kiss him slowly. There was one thing she hadn’t gotten to try yet, and she was feeling confident so…

“Kagome” Kouga managed to breath out “you don’t have to do this.”

She had been trailing warm kisses down his stitched chest, spending extra time on the wounded area. When she started to move lower, Kouga grabbed her chin and made her look up at him.

“But you’ve done it to me so many times. I wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t want to, Kouga” she said playfully. Well, who was he to deny her? She took an agonizingly long time to reach the rim of his boxers, and he mentally cursed himself for putting them back on again. After the events of today, he should have just remained naked. Kagome looked up at him one more time with that glint of excitement in her brown eyes, and Kouga bit his lip and moaned softly at how amazing she looked in such a position. Once again he found himself thinking that life could not be any better than where he was right now. The sun was low in the sky causing that sunset glow to stream through the blinds and reflect off Kagome’s beautiful form. Her hands slipped under the rim and slowly began to pull his boxers down. She giggled at how excited he was already, and blew a slow, warm breath on the tip. The muscles in his thighs twitched at the near contact; she was so damn close…

Her cell phone let out a shrill ring and she stopped before she could get started. Kouga didn’t see what the problem was. Her girlfriend had been calling her off the hook this morning and Kagome only responded with a text message, but the shrill ring must have been someone important.

“I’m sorry” she said abruptly. She crawled to the edge of the bed to grab her dying cell phone in her hand. Kouga only sighed and pulled his boxers back up and sat up in the bed. He really hoped this call went by quick.

“Hello?” she answered.

Kouga couldn’t make out what was being said on the other end, but whoever it was sounded frantic. He watched his girlfriend’s face shift from hot worry to pale dread, and she responded with a quick ‘on my way’ before hanging up. She hopped off the bed and scurried around looking for her discarded clothing, slipping the outfit on piece by piece.

“What’s wrong” Kouga asked suddenly, not happy that his girlfriend had to leave. Kagome’s breath sped up, but she didn’t answer right away. She sat back on the edge of the bed quickly, strapping on her heels.

“My purse, my keys, Kouga…where did I put them?”

Kouga got up and grabbed her shoulders before turning her around halfway to face him. Her eyes were brimmed with tears and her breathing was shallow.

“Out front, but tell me what happened first, Kagome. Breath, and tell me” Kouga stated lowly. He leaned in to kiss her cheek and consol her into talking. It took a few moments, but soon her breathing slowed and she nodded her head in understanding.

“It’s Inuyasha.”

888

He was greeted with the sight of Kikyo, bound by a strong arm around her throat, and another by her waist, tears no longer pouring, but replaced with pure fear.

“Inuyasha, it’s so nice to finally meet you.”

The man was pale, and his eyes were dark, menacing almost. His hair was long and black, but looked as if it had been unkempt for days. He was slightly sweaty, sported a bloody fist from what Inuyasha assumed was from him breaking the door window. His eyes were red around the rims, not suggesting he had been crying, but something else that Inuyasha knew all too well from his years in the medical service.

“Just who the fuck are you?” he asked lowly. Whoever this man was, he needed to be dealt with cautiously. Inuyasha’s body was set in a stance ready to attack; a plan was already forming itself in his mind.

“Such colorful language already” he retorted.

“Answer the question. Just who the fuck…are you?” Inuyasha asked again in a more threatening tone. Exactly what had Kikyo been involved in that she was connected to somebody so dangerous?

“Hmm” he laughed out. “Forceful isn’t he, Kikyo. I can see why you like him.”

The arm wrapped around the poor woman’s throat clenched tighter making Kikyo wince in pain.

“Na-ra-ku” she forced out.

“I said when you least expected it, didn’t I?”

Kikyo’s eyes went wide. This is what he had meant.

_“I’ll be there when you least want me to, and when you least expect it.”_

Those were the last words he had spoken to her before he left her home. How could he have timed this moment so perfectly?

“You know” Naraku started while looking back at Inuyasha “when no one answered the door I thought that you two were up to something in here. Something inappropriate” he clicked his tongue “I couldn’t have that.”

“What do you want from Kikyo!?” Inuyasha yelled. How dare this man come into his fiancé’s…ex fiancé’s home and speak such garbage? What did he mean by ‘I said when you least expected it?’ The man named Naraku rendered an impish grin that made Inuyasha want to grow claws and tear his lips off his sweaty face.

“Trust me, Inuyasha” he spat “there’s nothing left for this woman to give me.”

Naraku saw Inuyasha’s fuming and baffled expression upon his statement. Exactly how he wanted it.

“Kikyo” Naraku spoke again, sweetly “does he know about us?”

The room temperature went up what felt like one hundred degrees. Kikyo was full on sweating from nervousness and the proximity of the monster holding her hostage. Of course Inuyasha didn’t know. She never thought he needed to. She never thought that somehow Inuyasha would get involved in something this dangerous. She didn’t think about him when she was with Naraku.

“Kikyo, what is he talking about!?” Inuyasha yelled again. Oh, she hated it when he yelled. He was so threatening and unpredictable, just like Naraku. Only Inuyasha wasn’t Naraku; he was Inuyasha. Sweet, easily manipulated, ignorant Inuyasha.

“So he doesn’t?” Naraku asked. Then he laughed. His laughed reminded Inuyasha of oil and broken glass, however that was supposed to sound when ground together. It was an altogether unpleasant sound that made Inuyasha tense up even more, if that was even possible.

“Kikyo!” he yelled again.

“Kikyo” Naraku stated lowly “tell him.”

Said woman would have never thought until this day that she wished she hadn’t been born. She wished she could shrink down on the floor; shrink so small that the world couldn’t see her anymore and she’d be free from the situation she was in. How pathetic and childish she sounded at that moment. How weak and guilty she must have looked, sweating and tense.

“Oh, Kikyo, you know I hate it when you’re quiet” Naraku spoke softly. The fingers of the arm clenching her neck reached over to stroke some of her hair. Funny how a month ago, this gesture would have excited her. Now she wished she could die.

“Please…don’t…do this!” she pleaded with the loudest shriek she could manage.

“What are you trying to salvage, Kikyo?” Naraku raised his voice and ripped his fingers from her hair. “Even if you never told him he would never trust you after today” Naraku spoke in her ear.

“Inuyasha” Naraku continued “I suppose you should know that for the past six or seven months, Kikyo and I have been screwing around behind your back, and it was marvelous. You’d stay the night thinking that you had her, and when you left for work, she requested my presence and I’d come through and take her like the philandering whore she is!”

Fresh tears poured down Kikyo’s face again when she saw Inuyasha’s incredulous stare directed towards her and not Naraku. It hurt to see him look at her in such a way. No one spoke for a while; Naraku only reveled in the relationship he had just ruined. Not that there was much to ruin anyway, it had already been disheveled when it started, in the process, and up until the very end just minutes ago when Inuyasha confessed his actions.

“Let her go” Inuyasha demanded over a harsh whisper.

“That” Naraku stated while backing out of the kitchen slowly “will not be happening. I’m sure I’ve fucked her more times than you; she belongs to me now.”

Inuyasha charged at the pair suddenly, and just as sudden Naraku swung Kikyo from his grip and she skidded across the carpeted floor into the living room. She yelped at the immediate rug burn and a scream was stuck in her throat when she saw Naraku pull a shiny blade from his pants pocket. Inuyasha tried to disarm him, but Naraku avoided a punch in a flourish of movements before sticking the hand occupied with the blade out to strike. It must have caught skin, because Kikyo saw Inuyasha swing an arm to his left breast and stumble back. She wasn’t sure at what point the screams actually tore from her throat, but she knew that by the time the fight was done, Inuyasha lay still in a pool of blood. Naraku’s shoulders heaved up and down, and he turned around to look at Kikyo. How could someone’s eyes be so dark? How could sin and evilness radiate off him so much Kikyo thought it would singe her? At what point did she ever think she loved the monster in front of her.

He stumbled over to her, and Kikyo was sure her time had drawn nigh. She hoped that he would do it quickly, and she wouldn’t have to suffer. She thought she had suffered enough as it is. She had apparently still been screaming and cursing, because Naraku threw a bloody hand over her mouth and held the blade warm with blood to her throat.

“Be…quiet!” he demanded, but Kikyo wouldn’t listen. She would never listen to this man, this brute, again. The one that had killed Inuyasha. His hand left her mouth, and the knife left her throat. What was he doing? She was still sobbing and crying and cursing and screaming even though her face felt chaffed and her throat was raw.

A hard knock to the temple met her and she met darkness.

888

He heard them leave. More so, he heard Kikyo automatically silenced and dragged out of her own home. He remained as still as possible. The pain. Everything felt hot and cold at the same time, and he moved his left arm to his jacket pocket to pull out his phone. He needed to do this quickly because he could feel himself drifting; losing consciousness. Possibly slipping into a permanent end.

“What’s your emergency” he heard a female dispatcher say.

“437 Millas Drive. Stab wounds. Blood, a lot of it. Taisho. Hurry.”

That was all he managed to spill out before he too met darkness.

888

“Kagome!”

“Kagura!” Both women met each other in the middle of a busy emergency room and began to talk.

“Where is he? Is he stabilized?” Kagome asked frantically. She took Kagura by the shoulders so the other woman could focus her gaze on her own.

“Stabilized, but he lost so much blood” Kagura dropped to a shaky whisper. “He needs a transfusion.”

Kagome sighed in discontent and worry. Transfusions were helpful, but they were always risky business. Plenty of things could go wrong in the middle or after a transfusion, but they had no other option.

“There was no one else to call. Kikyo won’t answer her phone…”

“Where the hell was he!?” Kagome interrupted in a half yell. And why wasn’t his fiancé answering her phone? First of all she should be here because emergency surgeries was her job as manager, and her beloved Inuyasha was dying on a hospital bed. Kagura looked pale; paler than usual. She was about to say something, but then she was interrupted again.

“Kagome, I…”

“Hey Kags!” shouted none other than their co-worker Mark. “We need you back here now!”

Kagome nodded quickly and squeezed Kagura’s shoulders reassuringly before running towards the double doors to the back. She would need to change into proper equipment and scrubs before to she went in to help the team save Inuyasha. Kagura just stared from her spot in the middle of the emergency room feeling dizzy. When the EMT’s dropped Inuyasha off, they said Inuyasha called in from 437 Millas Drive.

That was Kikyo’s address.

Kikyo was Edo ER manager, and she was supposed to rush in for major cases like these. Yet she was nowhere to be found. Her house and cell phone would not be answered. Two policemen had already arrived at the hospital to question the EMT’s on the scene and Kikyo’s whereabouts.

Kagura was not a religious woman, but she prayed that Kikyo was not with who she thought she was with. A stabbing at her house, and no Kikyo to be found. Only a couple weeks ago, she overheard her conversation with Naraku on the phone, and for weeks the issue had been weighing on her mind.

It also would help to know that just last night Naraku had made one of is dreaded yet desired visits to Kagura’s apartment. The meeting was to go as it always had, but Kagura was feeling unceremoniously brave.

-Flashback-

“Get off me!”

“I love it when you beg” Naraku cooed.

“I’m not begging. I’m demanding. It you want a beggar, go to Kikyo!”

She didn’t know why she said it. Perhaps she harbored unwanted jealousy against the woman. Kagura knew for a fact that she had her own issues when it came to Naraku, but she never thought jealousy to be one of them. He wasn’t supposed to want any other woman. Why want any other woman when he had her? But she didn’t want him. She wanted to be free. But she loved his power. She wanted to feel him all the time. Her own confused thoughts and feelings caused her to call out Kikyo at the worst moment.

“What did you say?” he whispered right above her lips.

“I know about you two. I heard her arguing with you on the phone at work. Why don’t you go to her?”

Naraku was displeased, that was clear to see. But all in all, his expression was unreadable. Kagura wasn’t sure if she had finally stumped him.

“She doesn’t want me around” he stated after a moment’s thought, and removed himself from the top of her. Walking over to her counter, he ran a hand through his black hair and resumed drinking from the glass he had been drinking before. Kagura was truly confused at his actions, so she sat up but stayed on the floor. Clutching the shirt he already half ripped, she gulped and spoke again.

“Why’d you stop?”

‘Why the hell did I ask that?’she thought.

“You said to get off you” he responded matter-of-factly.

“Since when do you take orders from me?” she asked lowly.

Instead of answering, Naraku slammed his empty glass down on the table and sauntered over to the spot where Kagura was sitting and slumped next to her on the floor.

“Why do you think I come to you?”

She was startled at his direct question. Then again, Naraku was pretty much always direct; with her at least. Except for when he wanted to be cunning.

“I let you live with me.”

“Yes, you did” Kagura started “and it was one of the biggest mistakes I ever made.”

The silence drew out between the two. Car honks and outside noises could be heard through the apartment it was so quiet. Kagura had never remembered Naraku look as sentimental as he was in that moment. His hard or stoic expression was replaced with a soft one. It looked like he was thinking on something. So, Kagura stood up and went to her bedroom to find another shirt that wasn’t ripped. His libido must have decreased with all this mushiness.

When she came back out, he was gone. She never even heard the door close. Confused as to why he left so suddenly, she was going to text him. But then she spotted his phone on her kitchen table. Grabbing it, she ran out the apartment door to find him and return it, but the hallways were deserted. Shrugging her shoulders, she went back inside and figured that he’d come back for the phone, and maybe something else, later.

He was also the only man that didn’t put a lock on his phone.

Being the curious woman she was, she slid the ‘lock’ up and checked his phone.

Naraku had made 23 calls to Kikyo in less than 24 hours.

He had sent her a seven page long text message stating how serious he was about having her.

It was frightening, really, to see how much he desired this woman. Naraku had known her for years and never obsessed over her like he did for Kikyo. Sure there had been the times where he was wary of her coming home late and would ‘punish’ her for it, but when she left him he never stalked her like he was doing Kikyo.

‘What does she have that I don’t?’ Kagura thought.

It was wrong of her to think that way, and she knew it. But she just couldn’t help herself. Naraku shouldn’t waste his time on a woman that was well on her way to the altar with Inuyasha. She wondered if Naraku knew about Inuyasha. Did he think Kikyo was a single woman?

“Doesn’t matter to me” Kagura drawled. She laid the phone back on the kitchen table and walked away.

-End of Flashback-

“Is that you, Kagura?”

Said woman whipped around to find a handsome man behind her, looking at her as if he hadn’t seen her in years.

And Kouga indeed _hadn’t_ seen her in years.

“Kouga Convel, it’s been since high school.”

Kouga walked forward with a smirk on his face and gave her a quick hug before pulling back and speaking again.

“You dropped off the face of the earth after graduation. Were you even at graduation?”

Kagura laughed and tried to calm her racing heart. There was still so much on her mind.

“No. I picked up my diploma from that shitty school and walked the hell out.”

“Same potty mouth Kagura” Kouga stated. Both made common chatter, and then something clicked in Kagura’s head.

“Kouga” she started “what are you doing here?”

As if he realized that he had left that important fact out, Kouga answered.

“Oh!” he said “I had to drop off my girlfriend (that felt so weird to say) here. You spoke to her on the phone. Kagome.”

The gates opened and suddenly Kagura remembered the lunch she had with Kagome and Sango weeks ago.

“You’re the one she’s dating? Oh my god, good luck to her!”

“Hey” Kouga answered incredulously “I’ve changed a lot since high school, okay. I’m not _that_ bad.”

The two took on more conversation, and Kouga did that incredibly annoying thing he always does with people. He reads them.

“What’s wrong with you?” he asked suddenly. Kagura was sure her face was covered with blush. Kouga had always had a way of sensing when people were bothered by something. He would ask her all the time back in school. Of course she could never tell him that her mom kicked her out and she was practically living with a stranger.

“Kouga” she said quietly. “If you knew something that could help someone, would you help them? Even if it meant hurting someone else?”

Kouga tilted his head up and narrowed his eyes in thought in that incredibly cute way he always did, and he seriously contemplated answering the question.

“What is this about, Kagura?” he asked after a while.

As stated before, Kagura knew she had issues. She desperately wanted to keep and get rid of the monster in her life. She hated and loved him. Wanted and despised him. Craved and loathed him. She felt nearly everything for Naraku. The man that had taken her in like a friend, and treated her as an enemy. What would she lose? She would gain her life back, whatever that meant, if Naraku was gone. She knew without a doubt it had to be him.

“I think I know who stabbed Inuyasha Taisho.”

888

When she awoke, she was in an unknown location. It hurt to open her eyes because her head was throbbing incessantly. The air smelled disgusting, almost choking her when she tried to breath. A type of incense perhaps? Whatever it was, it seemed to be more of that than oxygen in the area, and it was suffocating. A moan escaped her partially parted lips when she realized that she was lying on a bed that she did not recognize. The room around her was plain decorated, but certain materials in the room let her know why it smelled the way it did. There was a bong off in the corner; no mistaking what that was for. She saw a couple needles, used, on the lampstand beside the bed. There were ashes from whatever was being smoked on the stand as well. Amongst those ashes were tiny beads of white. Kikyo knew fully well what she was looking at.

The bedroom of a drug addict.

One thousand and two scenarios ran through her mind of what could possibly transpire in the next few hours. Her head hurt too much to stand up, and she was sure if she tried to escape his home, he’d catch her before she even reached the front door. Something hot and wet slid down the side of her head to her bruised temple. Reaching a pale, dry hand up, she lightly touched it, wincing at the pain the feather touch caused. She was crying; that’s what that was. Today had gone horribly wrong, so of course she was.

She had woken up from a nearly sleepless night and thrown up a few times; just the annoying symptoms of pregnancy. Then she worked around the house all day trying to find something that would distract her from the issues at hand. The thought of abortion had crossed her mind, but she wasn’t _that_ cruel. She didn’t even know what the child was or who it belonged to. Then Inuyasha stopped by in the evening to tell her what he had done, how he had lied. Then Naraku. Now Inuyasha was dead in a pool of his own blood and she was being held hostage by a sadistic drug addict.

Her mother would be so proud.

Crying hurt too. The constant scrunching of her eyes was making her head hurt even worse. She wished she could take some medicine, or go back to sleep. But now that she was awake and knew where she was, she wouldn’t let herself be that vulnerable. Where was he anyway?

As if her thought had crossed through the walls, the bedroom door creaked open shedding more light from the hallway into the dimply lit vicinity. Slipping through the crack like it wasn’t his own room, Naraku made his appearance. Kikyo had never known the feeling of pure rage, but she was sure she was feeling it now. She had never hated, loathed, resented anyone as much as the insane man, no, monster in front of her at the foot of the bed.

“Finally awake?” he cooed. She wanted to vomit. Whether from pregnancy or his voice and presence, she wasn’t sure. So, she said nothing.

He crawled slowly onto the bed, resembling a predator stalking a much awaited prey. He was ravenous, Kikyo could tell. The look in his eyes spoke of nothing else, and she knew exactly what was about to happen to her. Soon he was lying on his side, head propped up by one hand while the other twitched impatiently by his side. Right next to her. His breath was hot; not sultry. Everything about him was repulsive now.

“Just kill me” she whispered, pleadingly. Inuyasha was gone, and it was because of her. She brought upon his fate with her actions, and she deserved nothing else but to die right along with him.

“Why would I do that?”

She didn’t answer. Not another sound. Not even when his itching palm ran up her thigh. She had only been wearing a sun dress to lounge around the house in. His hand, sweaty, slipped underneath.

“I’m sorry” he whispered.

Bile rose up in her throat, and she wanted to throw up on him. How dare he? Sorry? Not likely. Naraku never regretted a thing he did. He took the saying ‘no regrets’ to an extreme. So when she felt his hand reach her underwear, she only gulped. No more protesting. Everything she was getting now she deserved. Two hands and her underwear were on the floor. Her body wasn’t excited, it wasn’t ready for any kind of sexual activity, but Naraku continued touch her. Leaning down, he kissed her bruised temple softly. The gentle movements making her chest ache. Inuyasha used to touch her like this.

“Kikyo, he was getting in the way and you know it” Naraku whispered, slipping in a finger.

Her body tensed in pain. She wasn’t ready for anything like that.

Rolling on top of her, he looked straight into her eyes, and for the first time Kikyo really, _really_ looked into _his_ eyes. She always watched his face, or the wall, or the back of her eyelids, but never gazed directly into his eyes. Menace, tiredness, guilt, and lust all at once. It was disgusting and chilling and nothing a woman would ever want to look at.

“How long have you been doing drugs?” she asked for some reason, not forgetting his finger still inside her. Taking it out, he licked it to gain some kind of lubrication since Kikyo wasn’t doing it for him and slid it back in.

“I’ve been in the business for a while. I only recently started…sampling my own products” he responded mildly as if he was merely discussing the weather.

So, Naraku was a drug dealer. It’s important to know the person you’re fucking before you fuck them. Like, what they do for a living.

“Why aren’t you making any noise?” he asked.

“You didn’t have to kill him.”

His actions stopped, and he slid his finger out of her in a flash. Bringing that same previously occupied hand up to her throat, he wrapped it around. He bit his lip in excitement at how scared she looked right then. That kind of fear had to be instilled in a woman like Kikyo. His lower body heated up when she started to make small noises of discontent from the sudden pain of being choked. He wanted her.

“But I did, Kikyo. How would you ever know how badly I wanted you if I let you marry another man” he laughed out, and moved his hand away from her throat to tear at the short sleeves of the dress. Yanking the dress down, ripping some of the fabric in the process, Naraku was pleased that Kikyo wasn’t wearing a bra. It made things much easier. Kikyo yelped when his clammy, grimy hands grabbed her exposed breasts. She started to scream again, and she felt Naraku harden on her thigh.

Naraku positioned himself on his legs to undo his pants and pull them down slightly. His belt buckle clanged when undone, and he forced Kikyo’s legs apart once more. She kicked and screamed at him, telling him she hated him and that he was a monster. A devil with black hair.

“I hate you! You’re a monster, a murderer. You’re crazy, and I never loved you!” Kikyo screamed.

“Shut up!” Naraku roared. A hand met Kikyo’s cheek and a skin-to-skin sound resonated in the room, but she only cried harder. She continued to scream in defeat, shame, anger, and fear. Naraku was going to rape her. This wasn’t like all the other times where she never fought him. She didn’t want it this time. And from the look of anger on his face, he wasn’t going to go easy on her.

She felt him at her opening, and he loomed over her in such a way she felt dizzy looking up at him. That dizziness was probably from screaming and crying so much.

“If you wonder why I always come to you” Naraku started while biting her throat hard. “It’s because you are the most entertaining to control.”

Kikyo was no more than a game to him. A game that he himself thought for a while was infatuation, but it was no more than a fun time to him. He fed off her fear, and reveled in her screams. Just when he was going to enter her…

“I’m pregnant.”

He stopped.

The earth had to have stopped spinning, if only for a few seconds. Because time truly did slow down.

“It…can’t be mine” Naraku said lowly.

“Don’t be surprised if it is. Plus, you’ve already killed one of the options” Kikyo spat. She tried to sound as threatening as she possibly could, but she knew that Naraku was going to snap. His body was tensed as if he was going to pounce. When he moved himself off her and left the room, she was relieved that she stopped herself from the horrible situation that was about to ensue.

But she didn’t know it was going to get worse.

He stormed back in the room, that same knife in hand.

“You shouldn’t have told me that!” he bellowed. She didn’t have time to roll off the bed before he caught her mid-roll and pressed the blade to her throat again.

“Why would I want to play with a pregnant woman?!” Naraku asked her, still yelling. The blade seeped in just a bit, causing a thing line of blood to trickle down her throat between her breasts. His hair was wild, he was a mess. The effects of multiple drugs being in the blood system at once. And Kikyo was about to be the receiving end of that effect.

So, this was how she would die. It was only right, after all. After what she did to Inuyasha.

“I’m sorry, Kikyo” he spat pressing the blade down just a little bit more. Any further and she’d be gurgling on her own cold blood. “That ruins the whole game for me.”

Things grew silent, and Kikyo closed her eyes in preparation. Naraku’s hand tensed.

A loud banging at the front door of the house caught the attention of the sadist.

“Naraku Onigumo!” a deep voice rumbled. “This is Tokyo city police. Open up, sir. We have a few questions.”

Naraku immediately began cursing under his breath, and he moved himself off Kikyo. Moving about quickly in the room, he began hiding certain items that a cop wouldn’t like seeing. He grabbed a limp Kikyo off the bed and put her on the floor in the closet.

“Not a word” he commanded lowly. Kikyo didn’t nod or give any inkling of understanding. She just stared. The closet door closed, leaving Kikyo alone in the dank area. The used needles that had been on the lamp stand were thrown on the floor in the closet as well.

She couldn’t hear much, only the faint sound of deep voices. There were at least two policemen, and only one Naraku. She had to give them a hint; some kind of clue that she was back here. It wouldn’t be very wise because Naraku could hurt her or them at any moment. And she didn’t want to be responsible for anyone else’s death.

“Thank you for your time, Mr. Onigumo. That will be all.”

“No, no. Thank you officers. If I see or hear from her, I will let you know” Naraku said professionally.

The two policemen were buff; a little too buff for their uniforms. But soon they’d be leaving and Naraku could get back to what he was so rudely interrupted from.

Kikyo slid open the closet door as quietly as she could, one of the used needles in hand. She yanked up her ripped dress as far as it could go before padding across the bedroom to the single window on the wall. She got to the window and began to unlatch its holdings. She had to move slowly to avoid making too much noise. Finally she slid the window up and began to move a leg to hoist herself over the ledge. She was glad Naraku had a one story house.

As soon as one leg was on the ledge, the most unwanted host stormed back into the room.

“Where the fuck do you think you’re going!?” he yelled.

She wasted no time swinging herself completely out of the window and onto the dry, brown grass. The winter air immediately bit into her skin, but it was a relief from being in a hot, stuffy room.

Kikyo ran.

And she heard the movements behind her, knowing that Naraku was on her tail.

Hopefully the cops couldn’t have gotten too far.

There was a gate, much to her dismay, on the side of the house separating the back yard from the front yard; separating her from death and from freedom. And it wouldn’t stand in her way.

She pushed herself up as hard as she could from the ground and grabbed the top of the wooden fence. She felt herself getting splinters from grabbing so hard, but that was the least of her problems. A strong pair of hands met her hips, and Kikyo screamed. Naraku was yelling incoherent things about not letting her go, and she was going to die. But Kikyo wouldn’t give up, she couldn’t give in. Not when she was so close to being far away from this monster.

It was almost a miracle, Kikyo thought, when she saw a pair of flashing lights outside the house. The cops hadn’t left yet, and both of them were charging towards the source of the noise with guns in hand.

“Help!” Kikyo cried out to the best of her ability “Help me!”

She was yanked down, hard; her dress ripping from the bottom up. Naraku tried. He tried to hold her down with his weight, but she kept moving. She kept squirming; Kikyo kept fighting.

He couldn’t get her under control.

One of the cops had jumped the fence and held the gun in proximity to Naraku’s head.

“Put the knife down!” he yelled. And Naraku slowly did as he was told. As soon as he was away from Kikyo, his body was pressed into the ground, a sharp knee pressing into his back, and handcuffs being slapped on his wrists.

“Naraku Onigumo, you are under arrest.”

His rights were being read, and the other cop that wasn’t as fast as the first one, jumped the fence after calling the incident in. He ran over to Kikyo while his partner took care of the criminal.

“Ma’am” one of them said. “Ma’am you’re okay now. Please, let go of the needle.”

Kikyo had not realized that she even still had the needle. She was clenching it with much force while watching Naraku being arrested. There was a small feeling of triumph in her chest, but guilt was still crashing down on her.

_‘Inuyasha.’_

And she passed out.

“Manten, she’s out!” the other cop yelled while still cradling Kikyo in his arms.

“Call an ambulance, Hiten. I’ll escort this one back to the station by myself.

The two brothers looked at each other and nodded in understanding. Manten unlocked the gate and hoisted Naraku up, pulling him towards the awaiting police car.

888

11:30 p.m.

Kouga yawned heavily, and scratched his chest through his t-shirt. While he was here, he was going to ask someone how much longer these stitches needed to be in. They were getting annoying. He had consumed three cups of black coffee and watched enough silent television with subtitles for the rest of his life. He couldn’t imagine having to work somewhere like this. The emergency room was busy as hell. Now he saw why Kagome didn’t like working the weekends. It was chaos.

He was hoping everything went well. Looking back at the counter he saw another woman sitting behind it handing out numbers and taking information. He wondered what Kagome was doing, and how Kagura was doing.

-Flashback-

“I think I know who stabbed Inuyasha Taisho.”

Kouga stopped breathing for a split second as her information seeped in.

“Have you told the police?” he asked quickly, stepping in a little bit closer to Kagura. He loomed over her, and Kagura gulped while looking into his blue hues.

“No” she whispered. Kouga closed his eyes in irritation and grabbed the back of his neck with one hand. A gesture he always did when he was nervous or confused.

“Why the hell not, Kagura?” Kouga asked quickly. “If you know who did it then why would you not tell anybody?”

“Because” she answered quickly “Just…it’s someone I know. Someone I just can’t put out like that” she finished. She knew Kouga wouldn’t accept that as an excuse, but she didn’t expect to be pulled out of the ER and outside into the chilly evening.

“Kouga, what the hell!?” Kagura yelled.

“We’re going to the police station. It’s not too far from here and I have my bike. Let’s go” Kouga answered without yelling. Kagura was going to object. She was going to say that she couldn’t just leave work like that, but then he would think she was creating excuses not to tell. Which was understandable. She had just said that she didn’t want to put Naraku out like ‘that.’ But Inuyasha was lying on a metal table having blood pumped in and out of his body. Kikyo was missing.

So when she hopped on the back of the bike, she grabbed onto Kouga’s shoulders and braced herself against the cool air.

She’d have to confess.

-End of Flashback-

Their time at the police station had taken longer than expected. Then again, Kouga supposed you couldn’t just run up to the closest cop and say ‘hey, I know who stabbed the co-owner of Edo hospital and who kidnapped Kikyo’ and then leave. Processing and paperwork and questions came from left and right. It was determined that Kagura was going to have to stay at the station for more questioning on her involvement with a man named Naraku Onigumo.

From what he heard Kagura tell, Naraku wasn’t a very nice man. Everything that poured out of her mouth seemed filtered, as if there was a deeper meaning to everything she was saying. Like she wasn’t telling everything she knew.

Naraku had stabbed Inuyasha, whom is engaged to Kikyo, the ER manager. It happened at Kikyo’s house, but Kikyo was nowhere to be found. Naraku was at Kagura’s apartment the night before for a reason she wouldn’t tell with Kouga in listening range, and left his phone. He had called Kikyo off the hook, sent her text messages, none of which she responded to.

‘These people are fucking crazy’ he thought.

He decided to wait for Kagome all this time, knowing that she had no way to get home. Her car was still at his house. He decided to drive her on his bike because it was much faster and easier to weave, illegally, through traffic. Even though at the time he didn’t know what was going on, Kagome expressed that Inuyasha, her ex from previous explanation, had been stabbed and may not make it if she didn’t get to the ER soon.

Kouga came to the conclusion that he didn’t like this Inuyasha Taisho guy. After all, this was the same bastard that broke Kagome’s heart in the first place, surprised her on one of their date nights and threw himself at her, nearly ruining his and Kagome’s relationship. And the new couple was spending a perfect Saturday in bed, and Inuyasha just had to go and get himself shanked.

What a selfish asshole.

A man in a purple shirt and short black hair ran into the ER and looked around before his eyes landed on Kouga.

‘I’ve seen him before’ Kouga thought. ‘But where?’

The man walked up to him and stopped a comfortable distance in front of him. Smiling, he held out a hand for shaking and introduced himself.

“I’m Miroku. And you must be Kouga.”

Kouga stood up and took Miroku’s hand. “Don’t I know you?” he asked.

Dropping hands, Miroku smiled shyly and responded. “Well, I kind of ran into you at Kagome’s apartment complex, and you told me to watch where I was going.”

Kouga blushed while remembering how he had unceremoniously told Miroku to ‘watch where the fuck he was going.’

“Sorry man” Kouga laughed out. “It was a bad night I was having.”

“I know all about it. I was there to pick up Inuyasha from Kagome’s” Miroku responded, taking a seat away from where Kouga had been. The pieces started to fall into place once again, and Kouga concluded that this was the friend Kagome had told him she called to get Inuyasha out of her apartment. He slumped back down into the chair and exhaled loudly.

“How long have you been here?” Miroku asked.

“All evening. And looks like it’s going to be all night. I drove Kagome here.”

Miroku nodded and sighed. “I got the call on my way back from Osaka. I had to come see if he was okay.”

“Your friend seems to be quite the trouble maker, don’t you think?” Kouga asked, not really expecting an answer. Then again, he didn’t know Miroku at all.

“He can be. But he has this tendency to be a good person when he does the wrong thing. This entire situation between him, Kikyo, and Kagome was a mistake of his, and he was trying to make it right.”

Kouga could detect the hint of sadness in Miroku’s voice. ‘Guess the two are really good friends.’

“Miroku!” they heard a female voice call. Both turned around, and Kouga saw a pretty woman in mint green scrubs jogging towards them from the double doors. Miroku got up and moved around the chairs to hug and kiss the woman. ‘This must be Sango’ Kouga concluded. From the random conversations he and Kagome had, this must be the woman that was dating her other friend that both worked at the hospital.

Miroku and Sango.

“Is he alright?” Sango asked quickly between kisses.

“I don’t know. I just got here” Miroku answered when he finally pulled back. Sango was getting ready to say something when she saw a guy with long hair in a ponytail and blue eyes walk up from behind Miroku.

“This is Kouga” Miroku filled in for her.

“Yo” Kouga waved with a smirk on his face. Sango smirked too and moved from Miroku to shake Kouga’s hand.

“I’m Sango.”

All three adults stood and tried to fill in pieces of the puzzle. Kouga wasn’t going to tell what happened with Kagura just yet; he wasn’t sure if he should.

“You guys!”

All three turned around to see Kagome speed walking away from the double doors, and Kouga breathed a breath of relief when he saw her. She ran up to the group and Kouga grabbed her from behind and kissed her cheek.

“I missed you” he said quietly. Kagome only giggled and looked up at her friends. They were looking at her with approving expressions.

“I was hoping we would all meet under different circumstances” Kagome started. “But Sesshomaru wants to see us in the other waiting room.”

Miroku and Sango’s eyes widened and immediately the group began to travel around corners, knowing not to keep their boss waiting, until the buzz of the ER was no longer heard and there were only footsteps in the quiet hallways.

“Who’s Sesshomaru?” Kouga finally asked. Kagome was pulling at his hand with an insistence that was making him nervous. His other hand on the back of his neck.

“Inuyasha’s older brother” Kagome whispered.

“Half brother” Miroku corrected in an equal whisper.

“Why are we whispering?” Kouga whispered along, and Kagome turned around and ‘shushed’ him as they arrived at another waiting room. It was quiet, and the TV was on, but no sound of course. Kouga saw a cop standing and a tall man with long white hair sitting. The group walked in quietly, and each took a seat across from the other guests one by one. The cop, with long black hair in a braid, turned around to face the group and cleared his throat.

“Naraku Onigumo has been arrested and taken into custody. No one will have to be worrying about him anymore.”

Three people in the room gained confused expressions on their faces from not knowing who Naraku was, not including Kouga.

“He’s the guy that stabbed Inuyasha and took Kikyo” Kouga clarified. Kagome, Miroku, and Sango turned to look at him instantly, wondering how the hell he knew that, and Kouga went on to explain.

“Kagura suspected it was Naraku, so I drove her to the police station to confess.”

“And my partner and I arrived at Naraku’s home just in time” the cop added on. Kouga nodded in approval, but there was still some confusion around the room.

“What?” Kagome finally asked.

It took a while, of course, for everyone in the room, minus Sesshomaru, to tell what they knew. Miroku talked about how Inuyasha had called him that morning to tell him he was going to make things right with Kikyo. Hiten, they learned his name, added that Naraku broke into the home while Inuyasha was there and stabbed Inuyasha several times, and took Kikyo back to his home. He was a drug lord that the police had been searching for, and when they got the tip from Kagura, Hiten and his brother Manten went to the house to ask some questions. They didn’t have a warrant, so they couldn’t investigate. They were going to pull away from Naraku’s home, and right before they did, they heard a scream from the side of the house. Kikyo had passed out and was currently in the ER being checked on, and would probably being staying overnight. Kouga stated that Kagura knew who Naraku was, although he didn’t know how, and how Naraku had left his phone at Kagura’s. Everyone seemed to get the picture now, and none were too happy with the result.

“Kikyo was sleeping with Naraku while with Inuyasha and Naraku obviously was not overjoyed about that fact” Sesshomaru finally put the cherry on the top.

Kagome only listened to everyone put pieces of the puzzle together. Kikyo was cheating on Inuyasha the whole time, eh? Even though it was such an inappropriate thought, and Kagome felt a twinge of guilt for thinking it…

‘Karma is a bitch.’

Hiten had left shortly after the situation had been explained, leaving them alone in the room with Sesshomaru. Kagome had never been this close to the man before. She only heard Inuyasha complain about him from time to time when they had been dating.

“Miss Higurashi” Sesshomaru started while standing up “You make take the rest of the weekend off. You’ve done more than enough for my baka brother.”

Kagome was sure that was supposed to be a nice invitation, but the way Sesshomaru said it made her think otherwise. When the older Taisho left the room, Miroku cleared his throat and explained.

“Don’t worry. He’s always like that.”

Soon, Kagome found herself leaving Edo ER with a plastic bag full of her belongings in it, climbing onto Kouga’s bike.

“My place” she yawned in his ear before he started the engine. “It’s the closest bed.”

Kouga smirked and pulled out of the parking lot, feeling Kagome’s tight grip on him lessen the closer they got to her apartment. When they arrived, he hauled her half-sleep figure to the elevator and to her door.

“You have your keys?” he asked, putting her down. Kagome protested with the cutest whine he had ever heard, and fished around the bag for her purse, and grabbed her keys.

“Here” she flung them at him, and he chuckled. She didn’t have an assortment of keys, so it was easy to find the one for her apartment. Opening the door, he picked Kagome up again and kicked the door closed behind him. Kagome lazily pointed in the direction of her bedroom, and Kouga went in and laid her down.

Removing her scrub shoes and socks, he took on the task of massaging her feet again, and found Kagome smiling at him in the dark.

“Thank you” she said with rasp.

“Not a problem” Kouga responded. He moved up to remove Kagome’s scrub top, and found a clean t-shirt in one of her drawers. Kagome somehow found the energy to lift her legs up and yank off the scrub pants, throwing them along with the shirt across the room to the laundry basket. She sat up and slid on the shirt and shorts Kouga found in her room, and thanked the kami’s for such an amazing boyfriend.

“I love you” she said while lying back down to relieve the dress of work.

“I’m sure” Kouga responded haughtily. He heard Kagome scoff, and he started removing his shoes and jacket to lie in bed with his girlfriend.

They cuddled, and he kissed her over and over again. He pulled down her hair tie, and ran his hand through her long hair over and over again, finding that it comforted him more than it did her. Finally deciding to let her sleep, he felt her breathing deepen and slow down with each passing minute.

“I love you too, Kagome.”


	17. 17

It was a smell that she had grown accustom to, but at the moment it was burning in her nose like strong incense. Her head felt groggy, and the whiteness of the room was almost blinding, like she hadn’t opened her eyes for days. Her throat felt tight, unbearably so, and Kikyo tried to make any noise that might loosen her vocal cords. A heavy groan escaped her throat when she tried to stretch out her body in the hospital bed. Memories were flooding back in bits and pieces; memories of what transpired…however long ago. She glanced over to wall opposite from her and looked at the clock.

3:48 pm.

Kikyo knew that she was rushed in around the evening time, so it must be the next day. Goodness, she had slept so long. She knew she was in a regular room, and was glad that her head had stopped pounding. But there were so many other things to be concerned about.

 Inuyasha.

Kikyo remembered being lifted into an ambulance, surfing in and out of consciousness. That one cop with the long black hair in a braid, he kept telling her to calm down. He told her that Inuyasha was okay. Had she been flipping out? Had she been calling his name?

She sighed heavily and begged herself not to cry. Inuyasha was alive and hopefully well; Naraku hadn’t killed him after all. She wanted to go to him and hug him; let him know that things were going to be okay. Only they weren’t.

He hated her now, she was sure of it. The look he gave her when Naraku confessed their secret hurt her more than any blow to the side of the head ever could. It didn’t matter if she was alright and he was alright. Inuyasha would never trust or deal with her again.

Those tears that had been threatening to spill finally did, and a cold hand shot up to her mouth to prevent any sobs from coming through. She ruined everything. She hated herself for what she did to Inuyasha. Her mind drifted back to his surprise visit just yesterday. The genesis of everything that was about to go wrong.

-Flashback-

“I was never honest with you, Kikyo. I called off the wedding because I wasn’t ready to get married, and I still have feelings for Kagome. You and I both know what we did was wrong when we started it, and I shouldn’t have continued it. The hospital expansion never required me to postpone. I postponed because I wanted to figure out my feelings with Kagome, and she let me know really quick that there was no longer a place for me in her life. I acted out; I was confused. I got drunk one night and went over to her place, and I kissed her. It was a stupid mistake, and I’m sorry, Kikyo. You deserve so much better than someone who doesn’t know what they want, and I can’t be that guy for you. I need to…reevaluate my life. I don’t know what I want, when I want it, or how I’m gonna get it, but I know that I want to change some things. So, it’s best that we just stop this. You don’t want someone like me, and I can’t force you to stay with me. Especially when I don’t deserve someone like you. Kikyo, I don’t even…I don’t even know if I love you. I’m not sure I know what true love is.”

-End of Flashback-

“You were wrong” she whispered to herself. He wasn’t the one with the problems. She was the one with the problems. She didn’t deserve him, she lied to him. She pushed him away, but that’s impossible considering she never really had him anyway.

Either way, sooner or later, she was going to apologize. Inuyasha came to her and apologized for the mistakes he made, she could do the same. Especially since it was her fault he was stabbed nearly to death.

Kikyo was getting ready to grab the small remote on the stand next to her bed to call a nurse, but the heavy wooden door clicked open and she was none too excited about her visitor.

“Mr. Taisho” she confirmed with a slight bow of her head.

“Kikyo” he responded curtly.

This wasn’t going to be good.

888

“And where are we going?”

“Can a man still surprise his significant other these days? Do I have to tell you all the details?”

“You call me and tell me to get cute tonight and won’t tell me why. You know I don’t like surprises, Miroku.”

“My dear Sango” Miroku responded in a faked hurt tone “I just want to treat you. You’ve been at work for several hours, and we both need to unwind and relax.”

“That’s what Wednesdays are for.”

“You suck.”

Sango laughed heartily at her boyfriend’s deduction and rolled onto her side in her bed. The transplant had gone smoothly, thank every kami, and she was now in the comfort of her own home. She had been asleep all day, and was only slightly embarrassed that it was going on 4:30 in the afternoon.

“Mark called” Miroku changed the subject “Inuyasha is alive and recovering quickly. He should be out by tomorrow.”

“Good” Sango added. “He lost so much blood, and even though I don’t like him, I was worried.”

“My lovely Sango was worried about Inuyasha? The world must certainly be…”

“Coming to a permanent end, yes, I know. I surprise myself sometimes” the lovely Sango interrupted.

The couple went through the rounds of random conversation, but Sango hadn’t forgotten.

“Where are we going tonight and why?” she asked suddenly. Miroku laughed at her, no surprise there, and answered her quickly before hanging up.

“Seven tonight. Get cute. Just wait, and you’ll see.”

“Don’t you…hey! Don’t you dare hang up on…”

A click on the other end let her know that Miroku was no longer there. She let out a huff of annoyance at her secretive boyfriend, and smiled at how cute he was. He had never done this before, and Sango was curious as to what he had up his sleeve.

888

“Is there a reason you’re here?” Kikyo asked as respectively as she could. Sesshomaru fought his desire to roll his eyes at the woman; he wouldn’t be here without a purpose. He stepped a little closer to the bed, and Kikyo sat up to speak to him. She had always thought he was mysterious, and good looking, but she never had a personal conversation with the man.

“I am pressed for time today, so I will say this quickly. First as your employer and authority, I am relieving you of your position here at Edo Hospital. There is a certain level of professionalism that all Edo employees must maintain, and you have crossed that line ten times over. I was lenient when you were dating, even engaged, to Inuyasha, but the result of your actions has cost you your job, and nearly his life.”

Kikyo gulped down hard. Sesshomaru was as scary in person as Inuyasha cracked him up to be. She refused to cry in front of the icy man, though.

“I understand” Kikyo said lowly. So low, in fact, that she wasn’t sure Sesshomaru heard her, but he did.

“Whether you understand or not, my decision is sound. Second, as Inuyasha’s older brother, I’m requesting, no, ordering that you please refrain from engaging with him any longer. His mind is already jumbled without your influence, and with your influence he is worse. He has always been a confused soul, and everything you have done to him, cheating on him constantly, will not help him. I know that my baka half-brother has his own issues to handle, and that does not concern me. What does concern me is when one thinks they can soil someone of Taisho blood and name without consequences. From my gatherings, you are a disrespectful liar of a woman that enjoys toying with people’s emotions. Quite frankly, you’ve pissed me off. Thank you for your time and patronage here at Edo Hospital, but we will no longer be needing it.”

Sesshomaru wasn’t lying when he said he would make this speech as quickly as possible, because immediately following his last word, he turned around and stepped back towards the door. When he opened it, he looked over his shoulder, casting his white hair around his face.

“Inuyasha will no longer be needing it either.”

And he was gone.

Kikyo wasn’t sure she had ever felt more embarrassed than she was in that exact moment. Not even when Naraku confessed their secret to Inuyasha. At that moment she had felt utter shame for her actions. At this moment, well…she was feeling a bundle of things.

She just got fired for her actions, and Sesshomaru, in the most professional yet somehow personal way, demanded that she no longer associate with Inuyasha at all.

Kikyo wanted to be angry, she really did. So she got angry, at herself. No one put her in this position except for herself. And here she was, sitting in a hospital bed, pregnant and alone, jobless, in a pool of her own tears after being berated by a man she hardly knew.

How could she fix things now? She had hoped that maybe, just maybe Inuyasha would forgive her for her sins, and they could start all the way over, but she was instructed to stay away from him. And a part of her felt like she didn’t want to go against Sesshomaru Taisho’s words. So, it was settled.

Her life with Inuyasha was over.

888

“Uncle Inu!” he heard a small voice shout. A tiny figure in a winter white dress ran in the room with tiny footfalls to the side of his bed.

“Don’t touch anything, Rin” he heard a voice behind her say. A not so tiny figure with winter white hair walked in the room with soft footfalls.

“Inu, I was scared!” Rin cried, grabbing his hand not occupied with a tube. Inuyasha felt a warm feeling grow inside from having his niece here with her big eyes and bright smile. He would have gone warm all over if it wasn’t for the ice lord emulating his aura in the room. He was sure he was about to get a tongue lashing from his older half-brother, and was mentally trying to prepare himself for it.

“Don’t worry, Rin. You shoulda’ known I was going to be okay” Inuyasha responded as cockily as he could. He was glad when Rin laughed at what she knew was over-confidence. She stayed there a little bit longer telling him about her progress in ballet and the artwork she had been drawing.

“I drew a picture of me, you, and Sesshy in front of our big house. He put it on the refrigerator.”

Inuyasha laughed at Rin’s inclination to still refer to Sesshomaru as ‘Sesshy.’ The asshole didn’t like it, or so he claimed. He was sure that there was a centimeter of a soft spot somewhere deep down in his icy soul that liked being called such a thing by his daughter.

“I’ll be home soon, Rin” Inuyasha declared in a semi-strong voice. He was still feeling drowsy from having his body pumped through with someone else’s blood.

“Can we play tea party when you get back?”

Inuyasha heard a soft scoff from the corner and knew it was his brother. Rin was at the age where the boundaries between what males and females should do were blurred, so tea parties were perfectly okay for her uncle and father to do. Neither one of them would dare tell her no anyway.

“Only if Sesshy plays too” he reasoned. A slight jump of excitement came from Rin at the thought of Uncle Inu, Papa Sesshomaru, and all her favorite stuffed animals having a tea party in her room. She was boiling over in excitement almost.

“I will be back” Sesshomaru quietly stood from the chair he was occupying and led Rin out of the room. Inuyasha knew that as soon as he came back, there would be hell to pay. He could only imagine what his brother would think of his current situation.

Kikyo had cheated on him with the craziest bastard Inuyasha had ever had the displeasure of meeting, and was nearly stabbed to death. The entire time…the _entire_ time he thought he was the one in the wrong, and although he may have done wrong things, Kikyo had slept with another man repeatedly behind his back and was still planning on marrying him anyway. He was glad that he was told she was okay when he woke up; now he could cuss her out properly.

The level of disrespect was beyond acceptable, and Inuyasha found himself clenching his unoccupied fist in frustration. What had he ever done to Kikyo for her to do something like that to him? He could admit now that he never loved her, and he didn’t know why he even said it. Maybe he thought that he could love her eventually if he continued to tell himself he did, because back then…

Inuyasha thought Kikyo had loved him too.

And when she said it, it was said with such assurance. Like she had no doubt in the world. Then again, those words were mainly spoken during heated sex, so Inuyasha deduced that it was only a spur-in-the-moment assurance.

He thought he was obligated to love her because she already loved him, but that didn’t make any sense now that he truly thought about it. Was it possible that he knew the difference between fake and true love from having been with Kikyo and Kagome?

Kagome had actually loved him, this much he knew. Kikyo had not. No wonder he had always wanted Kagome in the end, because there was a difference between the two women. If Inuyasha had to compare, now that he had all the facts, Kagome was relatively a better woman than Kikyo was.

And deep down somewhere, Inuyasha had realized that too.

He knew that, yet he stayed in a relationship that he had no business in. Marriage was a proposal on Kikyo’s part, and Inuyasha actually did the proposing. It was kind of his way of saying ‘Hey, I’m still trying to figure out how I feel about you, but I’ll marry you anyway.’ Miroku was right; marriage would not fix their problems.

A part of Inuyasha was glad he went over her house yesterday. He was glad that he was told the truth, even if it hadn’t been from Kikyo’s mouth. He knew he ought to feel a greater sense of anger and betrayal at all that she had done to him, but Inuyasha couldn’t bring himself to feel that angry or hurt. If anything, he was treating this situation as a minor problem instead of a major one. Maybe it was because the feeling wasn’t mutual.

Maybe if Inuyasha had actually loved Kikyo, he would have felt angrier and more hurt than he was at that moment. But since he didn’t, he didn’t. Plain and simple.

He still needed to talk to her, though. There was no way that she was getting away with this without hearing what he had to say. The door to his room clicked open, and Sesshomaru stepped in again, this time alone, bring a rush of cold air in the room. Inuyasha didn’t know if it was from the hallway, or his brother.

“I fired Kikyo” Sesshomaru started, sitting down in the chair he had been previously occupying.

Inuyasha waited a moment before speaking again. “What did she say? How did she react? Is she okay? Where is she?”

“She said she understood. Her reaction was slight, but she is upset. She is fine; only sporting a mild concussion, and she is residing in a room on the floor beneath ours.”

Thank the kamis for Sesshomaru’s directness. Other people might have been irritated by all the sudden questions, but Inuyasha had to know. Sesshomaru quickly explained how Kikyo had been knocked unconscious and taken hostage at Naraku’s home. He didn’t miss the disturbed look on his younger brother’s face while explaining the police reports. Although his face would never betray him, Sesshomaru was utterly surprised when Inuyasha had begun to laugh at the end of the story.

“Kikyo cheated on me with a perverted drug addict” Inuyasha laughed out bitterly “Wow, am I really that dislikable of a person?”

And just as suddenly as the laughter came, it was gone. Sesshomaru knew that things were bound to get emotional in the room, and as much as he detested that, he knew that Inuyasha had every right to be as bitter as unsweetened coffee.

“If you are trying to blame this on yourself, stop.”

Inuyasha looked over to his older half-brother sitting in the chair in the corner. This was unreal, for him to be talking to him as if they were close. Sesshomaru had not spoken to him for so long ever since their last argument.

“Why the hell are you here?” he asked suddenly and lowly.

“Rin wanted to see you. I needed to talk to you. You deserved answerers.”

“Answers” the younger bit out with a dry chuckle. “Now that I have them, why are you still here?”

Inuyasha had never seen his brother look more annoyed or conflicted in their entire lives as he was in that moment. There was no way…no way Sesshomaru Taisho of the Taisho family was conflicted.

“Sesshomaru, what’s wrong with you?”

He didn’t get an answer, and now Inuyasha was annoyed. A deep sight came from the corner of the room, and Sesshomaru lifted his eyes, which looked sentimental, and locked them on his brother.

“Father never really loved my mother.”

Something burst in Inuyasha’s chest, and he knew it was his heart beating at the pace of a running horse. This was a subject that the two never touched because it always harbored emotions and feelings that neither wanted to feel.

“What I said about your mother being a whore, that was a lie.”

“Keh, well…”

“Wait. Before you say something stupid, Inuyasha.”

So he waited. Sesshomaru looked as if he was trying to find the right words to say, and the silence in the room drew out to an unbearable level.

“Mother killed herself when father left her for another woman.”

“I’m not gonna hurt myself…”

“I was convinced” the older interrupted “that I should blame everything on you. Because I couldn’t curse your mother, or father would be mad. And I couldn’t curse father, or I would have been disrespectful. You were the scapegoat.”

“What the hell is this about!?” Inuyasha yelled. This was making him uncomfortable.

“Your mother died from illness, and father grieved until he died from a broken heart. Or so it was diagnosed. And that left me with you.”

“If you’re in here to start something Sesshomaru, I swear…”

“I apologize.”

Suddenly, there was a giant explosion in the hospital room, and it engulfed both men with a blazing flame. Or maybe that had only happened in Inuyasha’s head, because by every kami that might ever exist, did Sesshomaru just say…

“You’re saying you’re sorry” he paused “for treating me like shit all my life?”

“Maybe you would not be in this hospital bed if I had treated you better.”

That made no sense to the younger.

“What the fuck are you talking about!?”

“You do things out of character. You say things out of the way. You surround yourself with people who do not care about you, and for what? You obviously never loved Kikyo, yet you pledged to marry her, Inuyasha. Is this because you never received enough attention in your adolescent years because we no longer had parents? Or are you just lonely? What is it, Inuyasha? Because you scared Rin to death and I was…”

Inuyasha could have sworn he heard Sesshomaru choke so that the last words didn’t come out.

“Relationships are dangerous when not done properly. That much I’ve learned from observing everyone around me, including our parents. I refuse to have a brother succumb to the same danger they were caught up in and get yourself killed, _or_ kill yourself. Why do you think I advised you to stay away from Kikyo? You went to her after cheating on Kagome. It was like watching father all over again.”

 “Sesshomaru” Inuyasha started lowly, “Why are you saying this?”

Surprisingly, Sesshomaru stood up and walked over to the hospital door to leave, but before he could exit, he looked over his shoulder and spoke.

“I’m saying that you are better than father, so don’t drop to his level. You will be getting released tomorrow. I will have Jaken come pick you up.”

And he was gone.

888

They needed to open a window, but Kagome didn’t have any windows in her bedroom. So the ceiling fan was turned on in hopes to relieve the intense heat within the four walls. Kouga leaned down and kissed the nape of Kagome’s neck, then grabbed a fistful of it, drawing it to the side so he could whisper in her ear.

“I’ve turned you into a freak, haven’t I?”

He didn’t receive any coherent words from Kagome, but he was sure her moans meant yes. They hadn’t left her apartment all day. Since she was graciously granted the day off, they were making up for lost time.

More like lost hours.

He thrust faster, reveling in Kagome’s noises and the noises they created together. This happened to be round three of the day, and Kouga loved it. He loved how passionate Kagome was; this wasn’t just an occasional fuck. This was making love to his dear Kagome Higurashi. It didn’t take long for the both of them to come to their end, and both came with each other’s names flowing out of their mouth. He could stay like this forever, but since that was impossible, he rolled to the side and spooned Kagome in his arms.

“I love you” he said with rasp.

“Kouga” Kagome panted, still trying to catch her breath, “I love you too.”

It was the afternoon and neither was ashamed. There was an unspoken appreciation in having this time together. Yesterday and last night had worn Kagome out physically, mentally, and emotionally. Miroku confessed Inuyasha’s poor schemes. Inuyasha was nearly stabbed to death by a man that Kikyo had been messing around with. Everything was a mess and there was sure to be more drama when she went back to work. Word would spread that the younger Taisho had been hospitalized despite patient confidentiality, as well as Kikyo.

“What’s wrong?” Kouga asked after a while. He noticed Kagome tense in his arms a few times.

“Oh, I’m just thinking about how crazy work is going to be when I get back” she answered forlornly. Normalcy seemed like a virtue at this point. She scowled when she heard Kouga chuckle; what was funny?

“What’s funny?” she asked as soon as she had thought it.

“You” he laughed. “Can you for once not worry about the future and focus on right now?”

For a moment, Kagome wasn’t sure what he had meant. She wasn’t a worrier, or she didn’t think she was. But when she thought about it, their weekend had been interrupted by drama, and now that they finally had alone time again, she was worrying. She broke into a lazy smile and rolled over on top of Kouga. He was surprised by her sudden forwardness, but only for a moment.

Kagome ran her nails lightly down his taught chest, avoiding the stitches that would be taken out soon. “Matter of fact, I can” she answered his earlier question. “And right now, I’m focusing on…”

She broke off, and Kouga broke into a full shit-eating grin. Kagome was traveling down his body, kissing muscle by muscle. Rubbing everything she could get her hands on until she made up for what she had previously started yesterday, over and over again.


	18. 18

Friday Night…

            Kikyo sat as motionless as a statue in the restaurant. There was the familiar quiet buzz of workers moving around, and the soft murmur of music, but that was it; it was comfortable. That was the main reason why she and Inuyasha liked this place so much. Downtown Tokyo was busy and loud on the outside, but in their favorite restaurant they could seclude themselves from all that and focus on each other. It was over candlelit dinners and excessive glasses of wine that Kikyo and Inuyasha talked. Normally when people talked, they found out more about each other, discuss each other’s day, talk about life, things like that. Now that she was here alone thinking on everything that had happened, Kikyo couldn’t recall what Inuyasha would talk to her about. It was all a blur of alcohol and expensive food, and highly suggestive flirting being passed from one side of the table to the other.

            But tonight wasn’t going to be one of those nights, that was for sure. When she got the call two days ago, she wasn’t sure what to think. She begged herself not to feel hopeful; it was just a dinner after all. Inuyasha Taisho hadn’t talked to her in one month, and she wasn’t sure if she should be happy about it or not.

            He deserved, she deduced, so much better. Despite his confusion between her and Kagome, Inuyasha deserved so much better than anything she could ever offer him. The only good thing Kikyo offered him was sex, and he could get that anywhere, so what was he calling her to dinner for?

            Of course, she had arrived there first. For this occasion, she chose a knee-length knitted scarlet dress, and long black boots, not forgetting her black overcoat. She didn’t want to dress up too much, but the cold weather would create an excuse for the cute outfits. She was sat at their regular table, looking out the large glass window to her right at the lights of Tokyo; each light represented each individual’s dreams. She wondered what her dreams were? Dreaming became such a trivial thing so long ago. It was in the reflection of the window that she saw his figure, and she quickly turned her head to the left to watch Inuyasha approach slowly to the table.

“Kikyo” he spoke evenly. “It’s good to see you.”

“It’s good to see you too, Inuyasha.”

Inuyasha would never admit it, but his name had always sounded alluring coming off her tongue. Sitting down quietly at the table, he waited for the waiter to bring their regular meals, considering that they had been here so much, and then he changed his mind once the waiter came.

“I think I’ll try the blackened salmon tonight” Inuyasha said once the waiter came.

“A change I wasn’t expecting, Mr. Taisho” the waiter spoke respectively. “Anything different for the lady?” he asked looking at Kikyo with a smirk.

“No thank you” she answered quickly. “I’ll just take this.”

And with that, the waiter was gone. Kikyo felt awkward eating while Inuyasha wasn’t, and when she looked up, she saw his eyes trained directly to hers. In irritation, Kikyo dropped her fork on her plate rendering a distinctive _clanging_ sound, and sat up to speak.

“Look, I don’t mean to be rude, but what the hell did you call me here for?” she asked in an actual rude tone.

Inuyasha didn’t waver his expression, he only lowered his eyes to the table like he was preparing himself to say something.

“Kikyo, I…”

“Your blackened salmon, sir” the waiter interrupted. Inuyasha faked politeness and thanked the waiter.

“Inuyasha, seriously?” Kikyo asked after a few more moments of him not talking, or eating.

“What?” he asked.

“You don’t talk to me for a month, not even a text or a call, and suddenly you invite me to a dinner to ‘talk’ or so you claimed.”

“A phone works both ways, Kikyo!” Inuyasha snapped.

“I was informed to leave you alone, _Inuyasha_. Or did your precious brother not tell you that?” Kikyo asked with malice. Apparently her voice had raised high enough for passing waiters and waitresses to look at them funny.

“Why would you listen to him?” he asked incredulously.

“Why wouldn’t I?” Kikyo said above a harsh whisper, her voice slightly squeaking. “He doesn’t seem like the kind of man I want to cross, but forget that. We’re here now, and I want to know why.” She punctuated her sentence with a slap of both of her hands on the table, and Inuyasha knew that it was now or never.

“Fine” he began lowly, sitting back in his chair to start his speech. “First of all, I just want to say that I’m glad you’re okay. Naraku could have really hurt you more than he did, and I’m glad you’re safe.”

He paused as if he was waiting for conformation or a thank you, and he didn’t get either, so he continued.

“Another thing is that I didn’t get to say what I wanted to say one month ago. Kikyo…everything you did was low down, dirty, deceiving, and plain selfish. If you wanted to be with someone else, you should have said so. Believe me, you wouldn’t have broken my heart. How could you do that? Was I that bad? Did I suck in bed? Did you not believe me when I said I loved you? Because I didn’t, but I said it because you did. Was it your plan all along? Did he show you a better time? Were you happier…”

“Inuyasha!” Kikyo half yelled, earning more curious eyes. She was becoming sick with shame at his questions.

“No, Kikyo. What was it? Because I need to know. If I’m such a terrible person that you’d pick some sadistic drug user over me, I must suck ass.”

“It wasn’t you!” she didn’t mind her volume. “Inuyasha, I have issues! Okay, this was my fault.” Reaching her shaking hands up from the table, she leaned forward and grabbed both sides of his face to make her point.

“Look at me” she asked. “Really look at me, and tell me what you see.”

So he did. He looked into her eyes that were normally void of life and saw something. It was confusion and sadness swimming around in her brown eyes. Her lips that normally set straight and thin were turned downward. Her cheeks that were usually pale like the rest of her were flushed red; her bottom lip was quivering.

She exhibited so much emotion it almost didn’t seem like his Kikyo; the Kikyo he used to know.

“You look sad” he concluded. To anyone else that may have sounded stupid in that moment, but he was actually making a valid point.

Kikyo smiled bitterly and fought back tears.

“Inuyasha” she cooed. “I don’t know what I want. I haven’t known that for a very long time. I made the mistake of involving myself with you when I still wasn’t sure what I wanted. I could sit here for the rest of the night and tell you how sorry I am, but it wouldn’t make a difference. You don’t need me; I’m no good for you. I won’t lie; I wish that we could start over, but we can’t. Not after what I’ve done. You don’t even love me. You wouldn’t want me anymore anyway; not since I’m…”

She broke off and removed her hands from his face. Kikyo couldn’t believe she almost let _that_ slip. She prayed to the kamis that he didn’t catch that either, but somehow people have a way of hearing exactly what you don’t want them to hear.

“Since you’re what?” Inuyasha asked with genuine curiosity.

Why lie? Everything they ever had had been torn down and burned to ashes, so what was wrong with adding more ashes to the pile? If Kikyo could ever hope to have Inuyasha in her future, she needed to change her ways, and the first place to start was with her habit of lying; she needed to be honest. Honest about everything, not just _this_. Would he hate her? Would he leave? He’d probably assume it was Naraku’s. Better late than never, right? All she had to do was force the words out with no hesitation; she had to confess that…

“I’m pregnant.”

888

“What!?”

“You heard me.”

“Yea, I did, but…what!?”

“You think it’s too soon?”

“Yes! I mean, well…Kagome why?” Kouga whined, while still keeping his eyes on the road.

“Well, we love each other, and mom would absolutely love you. My brother is protective, but he’s not crazy. I think it would be nice.”

“Kagome, no.”

Said girlfriend stared her boyfriend down from the passenger seat of her car, and waited for him to catch her eyes. Kouga must have sensed this, because he tensed up and paid extra attention to the road that he hadn’t before. His eyes shifted ever so slightly to the side to see Kagome shooting him the death glare, and they shot back to the road.

“Look” he sighed. “We’ll talk about this later, alright? I really don’t want to argue with you tonight.”

“It’s fine. Do whatever you want” Kagome answered, crossing her arms over her chest and looking out her window. Kouga sighed again and cursed himself for even existing for a second, but he quickly took it back. ‘Do whatever you want’ out of a woman’s mouth means ‘Don’t you dare do what the fuck you want, or I’ll kill you.’ ‘It’s fine’ out of a woman’s mouth means ‘It’s totally not fine, and I’m debating on whether to fucking kill you or not.’

This wasn’t the first little spat the still new couple had gotten into, but this one was serious. They were on their way to this club in the heart of the city, and the night had started out just fine. Kagome suggested they take the car because she didn’t want to be drunk on a motorcycle, and if he got drunk, they’d be out of luck because she didn’t know how to drive a motorcycle.

She also mentioned something about not wanting to mess up her hair since she actually straightened it for the first time in a long time, but by that point he had stopped listening.

Then on their way there, she brings up taking him to meet her mother.

It wasn’t as if he didn’t love Kagome, but this was a huge step for male-kind. When you meet the family, it’s official; everything from that point becomes official. It wasn’t as if he wasn’t ready, but meeting the family was a sign that the girl was planning on being long term.

Very long term.

Permanent perhaps?

It invited a whirlwind of questions that Kouga wasn’t ready to ask or know the answer to. He and Kagome had not discussed their future, for fucks sake, it had only been a month! He couldn’t see himself opening his heart to anyone else, but at the same time, was he ready for marriage?

Kagome hadn’t said one thing about marriage, and now here he is, worrying over nothing. Kouga decided to take his mind off the future for the time being as he pulled into the crowded parking area. He just wanted to drink and laugh and dance on his hot girlfriend, and pay for it all in the morning. Since when was he so prone to worrying anyway?

“Kouga, this line is ridiculous” Kagome stated, gesturing to the long line of eager party-goers outside the building.

“Don’t worry, I know a guy.”

‘I know a guy’ always raised suspicious towers in Kagome’s mind, but she dismissed it when she saw the reassuring smile on her boyfriend’s face. He was right; they didn’t need to argue tonight. They’d discuss things another time, but tonight, she just wanted to dance.

It was awkward, walking in front of the entire line to get to the front. People looked at them as if they were crazy, and she wouldn’t blame them. They were pretty much just skipping all the other people that had patiently waited in line.

“Kouga, we shouldn’t be doing this” Kagome said while her boyfriend pulled her arm in the direction of the entrance.

“Why shouldn’t we? I know a guy. Why wait when I know a guy?” he shouted over his shoulder.

When they made it to the front, Kagome saw a cluster of people surrounding a rather large, surly man at the front door.

“Jinenji!” Kouga called out.

Said man turned to look at the caller, and smiled when he saw who it was.

“Kouga!”

Kagome couldn’t count how many times this had happened. On their dates, it seemed that everywhere they went, Kouga saw somebody he knew. When asked why, his response was…

_“I work at a bar, Kagome. Alcohol brings people together.”_

That answer would have to suffice.

“Come inside” Jinenji gestured through the opening. Kagome smiled kindly at him, and he smiled back. There were certainly a few people at the front glaring at Kagome for several reasons. For one, she was on the arm of an extremely handsome man, _and_ they were getting in the club before the rest of them.

The inside of this place was as grand as Kouga cracked it up to be. There were three floors, and each had a separate bar. There were round tables and booths all over, and on the bottom floor, a giant dance floor littered with half drunken people trying to find someone for the night. She _liked_ it.

Kouga led her up to the top floor which had an overview of the city. This was bound to be a great Friday night.

“This is so great” she partially squealed when they reached the top. She spun around quickly like a princess and started to sway to the music filling the building. Kouga was sitting at their table smirking at his enthusiastic girlfriend.

“Why don’t you try bringing that over here?” he called out. A few more catcalls and Kagome was slowly stalking her way over to their table. When she reached him, she spun his chair around so that she had enough space to turn around and grind on his lap.

“I love this song” she cooed, and continued to move.

“Oh, yea” Kouga half-assed. “I think I do too.”

It wasn’t long before she enticed him to stand up and dance with her. There were a few other people on the third floor dancing amongst their own little groups, so she didn’t feel awkward. Even though she was irritated with him earlier, she forgot all of that in the sway of her hips, his hands on her waste, and the pounding music. This kind of feeling of being alive only came when she was with him.

Eventually, her over-enthusiasm wore out, and she needed to replenish.

“Drink” she huffed between breaths. “I need alcohol.”

Kouga laughed at her and led her to the small bar on their floor. When he looked, he saw various bottles of liquor lined up on the wall like desserts.

“Wow” he whistled. “I’m not used to all this fanciness.”

“What’s fancy about it?” Kagome asked, still slightly bopping to the beat.

“Probably the varieties and flavors of each brand” the barista interjected from overhearing the conversation. “It’s even a bit much for me considering…”

The barista never finished that sentence because as soon as she turned around, she stopped talking and started wide eyed at the people she was talking to.

Kouga was sure that the gods were punishing him for something. They were probably punishing him for being disrespectful to her the last time he saw her, and never apologizing for it. Otherwise, the irony of _Seri_ being their bartender wouldn’t fit. His blue eyes were as wide as hers probably, and if things couldn’t get any worse…

“Oh, Seri!” Kagome cooed. “Long time, no see. You still look the same.”

888

He was sure his knuckles were going to turn white as hard as he was gripping the edge of the round table. He was probably staring like a deer caught in headlights, a metaphor he had heard from a few foreigners. If anyone was in the situation he was in, they’d look the same way.

“Kikyo” he said with an odd inflection “what?”

Kikyo fought the inclination to sigh. After all, he wasn’t asking her to repeat himself because he hadn’t heard right. He was probably hoping he heard wrong.

“Inuyasha, I’m pregnant.”

He raised his eyebrows like she had just said something new, and Kikyo’s stomach felt like it was about to lurch every bite she just took back up. The silence passed between them both, each of them afraid to inhale in fears of breaking it. Once Inuyasha’s chest began to hurt, he breathed deeply and buried his face in his hands.

“Oh shit, Kikyo” Inuyasha groaned, as if she had forgotten to do something important instead of just confessing that she was with child. Kikyo didn’t say a thing. What was there to say? I’m sorry? Why would she apologize? It’s not like she said it was his. Either way, this was about to get ugly, she was sure of it.

“How long” he asked, still hiding behind his hands. “How long have you known?”

His tone was solemn, and for the millionth time in the past few months, Kikyo wanted to throw up from shame alone.

“About three months now” she answered just as solemn.

Another stretch of silence followed her answer. His eyes were closed tight, so tight in fact Kikyo wondered if he would notice her leave if she just slipped away. Her hands were sweating, her stomach was lurching, and she was worrying her bottom lip to death waiting for him to speak. She wouldn’t rush him, however. If he wanted to speak, he would do it on his own time.

“What are you trying to say, Kikyo?” he asked in a bored tone, finally removing his hands from his face to take a large bite of his fish. She was surprised at the sudden change in behavior, and Kikyo couldn’t remember a time when she saw him switch expressions so quickly. His question also caught her off guard.

“Wha-I…I was only letting you know” she answered with inflection at the end, as if she was questioning herself. She was giving him reasons as to why he wouldn’t want to be with her, and her pregnancy was once of them. Inuyasha was still eating his food, avoiding her eyes. He looked mad. She would know; that was an expression she was used to seeing.

“Who’s is it?” he asked with food in his mouth.

Kami, this was what Kikyo feared. The answer to the question was something she wouldn’t know until the child was born.

“I don’t know” she whispered, her voice cracking. Damn, she wasn’t going to cry now. There was no point. It would only embarrass her further. Inuyasha looked up at her finally, and she saw it in his eyes; something she wasn’t expecting to see. She was expecting anger, hatred, annoyance, disgust, things like that, but she wasn’t expecting…

_Hurt._

Only then when she saw that look in his eyes did she start to cry. A few hot tears fell, and she didn’t even bother to wipe them away. Their eyes locked and stayed locked for a very long time, also accompanied by silence. Of course, Kikyo was wondering why he would be hurt. If Inuyasha never loved her, then why…

“What happens if it’s his?” He asked, never leaving her eyes. Kikyo was pondering, and decided to tell the rest.

“If it’s his” she began “it won’t matter. I’ll raise my child on my own. I can’t exactly trust a drug addict with severe personality disorder to take care of my girl or boy.”

Yes, Hiten, the nice cop along with his brother that pretty much saved Kikyo’s life from a raging Naraku, stopped by her home a few days after the entire incident. She was let go from the hospital, and at home searching for jobs when they stopped by. They basically let her know that he was being held in a facility at the hospital, and that she shouldn’t have any connection with him whatsoever. Fine by her, she wasn’t planning on it. What she was planning on doing was requesting a DNA test from only Inuyasha, and if he wasn’t, then she would know who was.

“So that’s what’s wrong with him” Inuyasha bitterly chuckled out. “And if it’s not his?”

She wasn’t prepared to answer that.

“Then it’s yours” she answered cleverly. Surprisingly, he was smirking at her genuinely from across the table. It thrilled and confused her all the same.

“And if it’s mine?” he asked lowly, sliding his hand across the table slowly to touch hers. She didn’t reject. Their fingertips brushed, and both hands were warm; probably from sweating. Inuyasha stretched his arm further, and took her hand fully into his. He caressed it for a while, looking at it as if it was something new.

“What is wrong with you?” she asked, fake irritation in her voice. Actually, she was overjoyed to have that soft touch that was so distinctly _Inuyasha_ on her skin again. Even it was completely innocent, her head felt a little dizzy with happiness. She had convinced herself that she would never feel this again. She didn’t deserve to.

“And if it’s mine?” he asked again, ignoring her previous question.

“I don’t know, Inuyasha” she said, raising her voice a little. “Do you want any part of this?” she asked, drawing her hand out of his. “I understand if you don’t. After all, everything…everything that I’ve done to you…

“Doesn’t matter” he finished. “Those things won’t matter if it’s our child. It won’t matter if it’s not our child.”

Kikyo inhaled sharply, and mentally forced herself to not get hopeful. Especially since she didn’t know what was going on.

“Inuyasha” she started.

“I didn’t come here just to insult you, Kikyo” Inuyasha added on matter-of-factly, his hand still near hers where he left it. He gave her a moment to absorb what he was trying to say, and wanted to laugh when her eyes went wide in finalizing realization. Her face paled, and she shot him a look that screamed ‘explain, and explain _now_.’

“Okay” he began, scooting back in his chair to begin his speech. “This is going to be the sappiest thing you will _ever_ hear me say, and I will _never_ say it again.”

Kikyo nodded her head quickly, face still pale.

‘Here goes nothing’ he mentally encouraged, and spoke.

“I’ve been thinking about things a lot since the whole accident. I’ve talked to Miroku too. He’s some kind of love-guru. Well, I’m not sure how to put this, but…I want to start over.”

Kikyo was so engrossed in what he was saying that she leaned forward in her seat silently pleading him to expound on the terms of ‘starting over.’

“What you did was shitty, I could never say that enough, Kikyo. But, I feel like I deserved it. Not the whole stabbing thing, I mean. But…fuck this is complicated.”

Kikyo nodded her head, not really knowing why, her eyes still set on his face, waiting for him to continue.

“If you would have truly felt loved, then maybe you wouldn’t have cheated” he proclaimed. “Now, you’d sit here and tell me that it has nothing to do with that, and that it’s your issues or whatever. Kikyo, you didn’t single-handedly destroy our relationship. A relationship takes two people, and whatever made it go wrong was bad accounting on both our parts. If I would have actually shown you true love instead of the crap I was showing you, things might have been different. Maybe because I didn’t, it drove you to cheat.”

“Don’t you dare blame yourself” she whispered.

“Don’t you do it either” he added quickly. “I lied to you too, okay. I went after Kagome thinking that she was what I wanted. That may have been the case, but I don’t deserve her. I never did. She’s on her own level in her own world, and I never understood that. Because I’m still too young and idiotic to know better. So, I stayed with you because sex was easy, the relationship was easy, and I wanted to take the easy way out. Love takes labor and time; things that neither of us put in. I wasn’t as angry as I thought I should be when I found out you were cheating, because I didn’t love you. I still don’t. I lied, you lied, and both of us want to blame ourselves. Miroku said that I needed to fix things, and I did. I told you the truth about what I did, and things went south after that. But they can only go up from this point.” He paused to inhale deeply.

“I know people have a thing for holding grudges, but damnit Kikyo, can we just…forget this shit ever happened!?” he yelled. Waiters and waitresses passing by looked at them skeptically, and well as any other customers that could see them. Inuyasha looked around apologetically and met Kikyo’s eyes, which were still wide and glazed over.

“I care about you, Kikyo. It’s just not love, not yet. I want that. I want love. You do too.”

How could he know? How could he be so deadly accurately right now that it terrified her? It was as if he was summing up their entire aspect of a ‘relationship’ in a nutshell. Yes, she wanted love. She had always wanted Inuyasha, but now, she _wanted_ Inuyasha.

Yes, there is a difference.

The want was beyond physicality. She wanted something beyond sex, and always had. She never found it. She knew that while dating Inuyasha that she still hadn’t found it. She made an ass of herself and fell for someone with a deep voice and enticing gaze that looked promising, and he turned out to be psychotic.

Truthfully, Inuyasha was as close as she had every gotten to finding love.

And the fact that he was sitting here wanting to try again, because he _wanted_ her too, was making her heart race. He was willing, and that spoke volumes in itself.

Before, he didn’t love her. He still didn’t now. But he wanted to try, because he knew that she wanted it as much as he did. That willingness was what continued to make Kikyo’s eyes relinquish tears. If they both wanted it, what was the point of running away?

“You mean to tell me” she sobbed out, not caring how pathetic she looked, “that this child could still be Naraku’s and you’d want to have a part in his or her life?”

Inuyasha smiled at her softly, and nodded his head in compliance.

Kikyo stood up and rounded her way over to his side of the table, and leaned down to hug him. It was reciprocated, and she suddenly felt an invisible boulder roll of her shoulders. They’d make this work somehow. Inuyasha stood up then, with Kikyo still in his arms, and hugged her tightly. The waiter came by with the bill silently laid it down on the table, and neither one of them cared. What mattered was the new slate they were going to write on this time around.

“We’re so complicated” Kikyo droned in his ear. She felt a chuckle reverberate through her body, and a reassuring hand on her back slide up

“We can be complicated together. All three of us.”

888

This could not be happening by any stretch of the imagination. This kind of stuff only happened in novels and movies; not real life. There was absolutely no way…

“Kagome” Seri said lowly in discovery. All of a sudden she opened her mouth in shock with a quick gasp, and looked back and forth between Kagome and Kouga as if she had finally realized something important.

“Wait!” she bit out. “Wait, you two are…dating?”

“You two know each other!?” Kouga half-yelled. Face still paled.

“You two know each other?” Kagome asked with genuine curiosity. She wasn’t sure what was happening here, but she would find out.

“Wow. I knew I recognized the name when you kept saying it. I really wasn’t sure…”

“Seri” Kouga interrupted quickly with anger lacing his tone. “Don’t.”

“Don’t what?” Kagome asked, putting a hand on his arm as if that was supposed to calm him down.

“This is where you’re at now?” Kouga asked, ignoring Kagome’s pleading gesture. “I heard you quit.”

“For several reasons” Seri added on, a determined look in her eyes. “It would have been too awkward.”

Kouga had never seen that kind of look in Seri’s eyes. She was normally always giddy, or at least calm. But now, she was just mad, and of course he knew why. He never apologized for calling her out all those weeks ago when he got drunk and she brought him home. So, of course she would bring _that_ up now.

_That_ referring to when he was so drunk he kept saying stuff about Kagome, and then he kissed Seri.

It finally caught up to him.

“Kagome, we should go. Let’s try the second floor” Kouga proposed, not really caring for her decision anyway. He just wanted to get Kagome away from this situation all together.

“So, this is the Kagome you were talking about that night” Seri cooed in fake realization. The words ‘that night’ and earlier statement she made was making Kagome’s eyebrow raise in suspicion. He was screwed.

“It’s been years, Seri” Kagome interjected, not caring that she wasn’t on topic. She also didn’t miss the hostility going back and forth between the two.

“It has” Seri said, still looking at Kouga. “How’s the family?”

“They’re fine” Kagome answered quickly, really picking up on the hostility this time. If she was going to talk to her, she needed to look at her and not _him_.

“I’m over here, by the way” Kagome offered. Kouga snapped his head to the side in disbelief in the change in his girlfriend’s manner. Seri turned her eyes toward Kagome and raised her eyebrows.

“How do you two know each other?” he finally asked.

“When we were little” both women began, and then stopped to look at each other in annoyance.

“I was six when she was just a baby. She used to be my neighbor for a long time. Her and her dad.” Kagome answered, looking into Kouga’s eyes. He couldn’t place exactly what was twinkling in them, because…he hadn’t seen her act like this before.

“Her dad is my boss” Kouga answered.

“I used to work at the bar with Kouga” Seri put in, not liking the way the couple was gazing at each other.

“Oh” Kagome said, with inflection in her voice. She let go of Kouga’s arm to cross her own, and nearly killed Kouga with her next question.

“When did he mention me to you?”

Kagome heard the slight choking noise Kouga made from behind her, and saw the impish grin rise on Seri’s face. So, she was right. They _did_ have history.

“When we were on the way back to his place. Although, I can’t remember if that was before or after he kissed me” Seri answered confidently. Kagome’s eyes widened in disbelief and turned around to meet Kouga’s viciously. Poor Kouga; he was at a loss for words. What does one say in this situation? How could he explain without letting her know how torn up he was after he saw her kissing someone else?

She didn’t give him time to answer before Kagome, in a flurry of raven hair and heels, grabbed her clutch purse and headed for the stairs leading to the exit.

“Kagome!” Kouga called out, but she had already made it to the sea of dancing people on the second floor, and he lost sight of her amongst everyone else. A small giggle from behind him was enough to break is ‘loss for words’spell, and he turned around to speak.

“You bitch” he said lowly and evenly. Apparently, Seri wasn’t expecting that, because she looked truly offended.

“What did you just…”

“Bitch” Kouga interrupted. “I called you a bitch. A manipulative, jealous, immature bitch!” Kouga was practically yelling. Only the few people on the third floor of the club could hear. Everywhere else was pounding music and laughing people.

“Why her” Seri whined, with tears brimming her eyes.

Never again would Kouga feel bad for offending her because she starts crying. It was all a ploy. This was what Seri really was. Everything she said set Kagome off, and there was no way that he was walking out of this club without saying what he had to say.

“I’m glad you quit” he started lowly, keeping his hands at his sides. “I’m glad I know what a jealous fucking girl you are. You know I was drunk as hell, and you’d say all that like I chose you. I kissed you because I wasn’t in my right mind. Not because Kagome made me mad, or whatever the hell else you thought it was! I was _inebriated_ ; that’s got to be the only way a man would want to kiss you anyway.”

He heard the gasp from behind him as he walked away quickly to find Kagome, and he heard the simultaneous ‘oooohs’ from the other club-goers on the third floor; they were laughing at her.

It was pointless, to try to look for one person in specific in the sea of sweaty, drunk people. He tried to recall it; her storming down the stairs, and then disappearing into the mass. He quickly pulled his phone out of his pocket and called her. No surprise that it went to voicemail. He still left a message anyway. He really hoped she’d be able to hear it despite the noise in the background. When he reached the first floor, he continued his search. No use.

He went outside to talk to Jinenji. The big guy was trying to maintain the groups of people trying to get in.

“Nenji!” he called out. Said bouncer looked at Kouga and immediately took notice of his upset look.

“If you’re looking for the lady” he began, widening his blue eyes “then she went down the street somewhere. I don’t know where, Kouga, I can’t really see.”

Kouga nodded quickly, and took off in the direction of Kagome’s car. He had never wished he had his bike so badly in his life than in that moment.

He called her again, but got no answer. Leaving another, what he was sure, useless voicemail, he pulled out of the lot and began to search the streets.

888

She couldn’t believe she stormed out like that, but…

She was mad. _Really_ mad.

So, had he been in a relationship, or involved with Seri while he was talking to her and taking her out? Was Seri even an ex?

She would answer his calls later. She just wanted to walk right now and calm down. She knew all too well that arguing when upset would not make things any better.

She left the club in a hurry, not really wanting to face him at the moment. She also hadn’t meant to walk so far away, but once she started, she just kept going. It was as clear as day, to Kagome. All those things Seri said, the way she was looking at Kouga, how easily she confessed that he was going back to his place with her…

No, she and Kouga had not been in a relationship at that time, but they were still on the brink of it. The thought of Kouga and Seri _together_ made her chest constrict.

Kagome thought Kouga had lied to her.

888

“That’s gotta’ be her!”

“If you say so” another began. “Let’s just get this over with.”

Two men were lurking in their car, keeping a distance as to go unnoticed to the woman walking down the street alone. They saw her in the club with another man, and immediately informed their boss.

They were also informed to take her out.

Payback was something done by people for different reasons. Whether it was to be of a small or large degree depended on the one handing it out. There was one thing every person had in common, though, when it came to payback…

They wanted it to teach a lesson, serve as a reminder; they wanted it to hurt.

There are also those that have no problem with getting their hands dirty. These people come in special handy when there are those want to hand out payback, but have reputations to uphold. Tonight’s events would be the result of one of those people not wanting to get their own hands sullied, and two others who didn’t mind.

The street did have a few other walkers on it, but that didn’t matter to them. All that mattered was that they complete the boss’ request.

“This is different of Bankotsu” the man driving purred. “This whole thing about ‘hitting them where it really hurts’ is something he doesn’t normally do. But I like it.”

He finished with an unattractive laugh, and the other in the passenger seat just rolled his eyes. Once the woman had turned the corner to a less crowded road, the two slowly followed.

“We need to do this quickly” the passenger said quietly.

“I’m on it, I’m on it!” the driver said with irritation. They also turned the corner, much unnoticed by the woman. The driver rolled down the window and stuck his head out.

“Jakotsu” the passenger whispered harshly. “What the hell are you doing?”

“Hey girl” said girl cat-called out the window. “You need a ride?”

The woman turned around and stopped for only a second before turning back around and walking faster than she had been before to the best of her ability with those heels on.

“Aww, where you going, baby?” Jakotsu continued to call out, driving a little faster.

“There’s nowhere to go!” he said in a voice dripping with enjoyment. The woman was running now. He leaned back in the car and sped up. They were about to close the gap and speed in front of her.

“Do it now, Renkotsu!”

He rolled down his window quickly and stuck the gun out of the window. He had never done this before, but how hard could it be at close range?

He only took one shot, and it hit her dead in the thigh, immediately halting the sound of heels clicking rapidly on pavement. She cried out and crumpled, automatically curling in on herself.

“Did you kill her?” Jakotsu asked loudly while speeding down farther on the street.

“I don’t know” Renkotsu responded. “But nobody will find her out here” he reassured. “She’ll bleed to death first.”

888

“Answer it” Sango panted.

“No” Miroku responded, grabbing her by the back of the neck and pulling her down to kiss her.

“It could be work” Sango tried to reason. Her fiancés tongue was quite distracting though. Ever since he proposed, the two couldn’t get enough of each other. They hardly every got to have sex, due to their conflicting work schedules; that’s what Wednesday’s were for.

Tonight was Friday, however, and she was at Miroku’s apartment for a change. She had almost forgotten what it looked like, having not been there in so long. He continued to kiss her neck, earning a pleased whine from Sango, yet his cell continued to ring.

“Answer it, and I’ll…”

She leaned down to whisper strings of obscenities in his ear, and Miroku immediately sat up, careful to not throw Sango off him, and grabbed his phone on the nightstand next to his bed.

“Hello” he answered calmly, as if he hadn’t just been excited seconds before. Sango silently laughed at his quick change in expression, but stopped when she saw his face turn into a deep frown.

“We’ll be right there.”

He hung up and moved Sango off him to roll off the bed and find his shoes. The two hadn’t gotten the change to remove their clothes yet.

“Miroku” Sango stated calmly, betraying how worried she was over how flustered Miroku had suddenly become. She followed suit and slid on her shoes as well, quickly going for her phone.

“What’s wrong, honey” she asked, letting her voice shake a little as she saw him frantically find his keys in his coat pocket. He turned around and looked at her, his face pale and breathing a little shallow.

“It’s Kagome” he began. Sango’s eyes filled with tears that threatened to spill, and she didn’t even know what happened yet. The look in his eyes suggested that something much worse than a best friend crisis was happening.

“She’s…been shot.” 


	19. 19

Sango’s stomach was doing flips as her heart was pounding slow but hard in her chest. It seemed like Miroku wasn’t driving fast enough, but he was driving as fast as he _could_. One of the employees in the ER room called to inform Miroku that Kagome had been…

She didn’t even want to think the word.

Why? Who and why? Sango couldn’t understand why anybody would want to hurt Kagome like that. She didn’t even have any details on where she was or what was going on. She’d find all that out once Kagome was alright; if she was going to be alright. Sango didn’t even know where she was shot.

Once they pulled onto the familiar highway leading to the hospital, Sango clutched her thighs and began deep breathing. Miroku was just as worried, his hands shaking on the wheel, but he needed to be strong for Sango. Miroku zipped in the back entrance to the hospital to get to his reserved spot faster; they’d be here for a while.

The practically sprinted to the ER and through the sliding doors. Ignoring any commotion going on, they headed straight for the desk where Ayame was working. She was taking some information, but when she spotted Sango and Miroku, her expression she had been faking dropped.

The couple waited impatiently for the sickly man in front of them to get his number and take a seat. It felt like ages to Sango, and Miroku squeezed her hand in his to reassure her. The kamis heard their cry when the man was finally dealt with, and Ayame spoke as soon as Sango’s pale hands slammed on the counter.

“In the thigh” she spoke lowly, her voice trembling. “On the side. Thank the heavens the femoral artery wasn’t touched or she might not have made it. They’re removing the bullet now, and she’ll make a full recovery.”

All of the breath Miroku and Sango hadn’t known they were holding shot out with relief. Kagome was fine. She was going to be just fine. Now that that was out of the way…

“What the fuck happened?” Sango asked, no longer hiding her anger now that she knew her best friend would be okay. Miroku would normally calm her down, but when she glanced to her side, she saw her significant other with a rare scowl set on his face as well. Ayame took a deep breath and spoke.

“She was walking on Denmar Street and…”

“What the hell was she doing out there at night?” Sango asked, knowing perfectly well that wasn’t a good residential area. She grew up on that side, after all. Ayame was about to continue until Kouga walked through the double doors leading to the back, a defeated look on his face. Sango gasped and ran up to him, waiting for him to meet her eyes.

“They’re removing the bullet right?” Miroku asked. Kouga nodded, stating yes, and spoke, his voice dry and just as defeated as his expression.

“It’s already done” he cleared his throat. “She’s under anesthesia and asleep now; might not wake up until morning.”

Sango placed a hand on Kouga’s shoulder in attempts to comfort. “Do you know why she was out walking Denmar Street? She doesn’t even live in that general area and…”

“It’s my fault” Kouga said. Sango furrowed her eyebrows and removed her hand, confused by what he meant. Kouga cleared his mucous-free throat again and explained.

“I took her to a club over there, but she got upset with me and ran out. I guess she started walking to clear her mind, or get away from me, or whatever…I don’t fucking know. But it’s my fault.”

Sango took a step back, not sure what to say. She was still confused. All she really understood is that Kouga made her best friend mad somehow, and now she was in a hospital bed.

“What did you do?” she asked through clenched teeth. Miroku stopped her right there, realizing that she was creating more tension than they could handle. He turned his lover towards him and spoke in that soothing way he always did when she was wound up.

“Sango, my love, why don’t you go take a seat and I’ll talk to Kouga?” It was a suggestion, but Sango recognized the blank look on his face as one that wasn’t meant to be argued with. Biting her lip in annoyance, she nodded curtly and walked away to do as told. Miroku turned back to Kouga, and he noticed the man’s eyes were the saddest he had ever seen on a man; like he was carrying the weight of the world on his own shoulders.

“Follow me. We’ll go some place better to talk.”

Kouga did as told, and followed the man he hardly knew around the corner away from the ER, and through quiet hallways to an almost abandoned part of the hospital, save for the secretary.

“Miroku” the lady beamed, Miroku smirked and spoke. “We’ll be back in the office.”

The secretary nodded, and Kouga suddenly remembered that Miroku worked here too. He was a PA in the surgical unit.

He found himself in a quiet lounge for what he assumed was for the employees. He took a seat by a low coffee table, and Miroku took the seat across from him. He looked at the man; he looked kind, but stern. Kouga knew that Miroku and Kagome were very good friends as well, and although he may be nice, he wasn’t one to be messed with.

“Explain” he deadpanned.

And Kouga did. Putting away his pride, because that was the initial cause of this entire problem in the first place, he explained. He started from the beginning; no, the _very_ beginning. He started with his bike accident, meeting Kagome in his hospital room, meeting Kagome again in Wendy’s, eating with Kagome, texting Kagome, taking Kagome out, finding Kagome kissing another man, going out and getting stupid drunk the same night because he was heartbroken over Kagome, kissing another girl out of spite and under the influence because of Kagome, hurting because of Kagome, reconnecting with Kagome, loving Kagome.

Kouga went down the list to the very night in which he found himself now.

“If I had told her about Seri and the whole drunken kiss thing then she wouldn’t have gotten upset and left” Kouga finalized.

For a while, Miroku said nothing. He nodded, and sat back in his plush chair to contemplate. Kouga sat there, awkwardly, waiting on the chastisement. This entire thing was pinned on him. He let her walk away, he couldn’t find her, and when he tried, it was by a crowd of people and flashing lights from an ambulance. Had that bullet been any closer to the front of her thigh, it would have been over.

“This is all very unfortunate” Miroku sighed. “Well, either way, it’s not your fault.”

Kouga snapped his head up, a scowl on his face, and Miroku knew exactly what was about to happen.

“What the hell do you mean? Of course it’s my fault!” Kouga yelled. “If I would have just told her…”

“Then maybe she wouldn’t have ran out” Miroku completed, not raising his voice. “Kouga, I’ve known Kagome for years; _years_. From being around her and listening to her vent and seeing how she reacts in certain situations, I’ve learned that she’s not impulsive. She actually thinks things through before she does them, for the most part. This is new to me and everyone else that knows her. She just doesn’t run away. But I think I know why she chose to abandon that normality tonight.”

Kouga exhaled, and waited.

“She thought Inuyasha was happening all over again.”

Kouga shook his head, but said nothing, indicating that he really didn’t understand what Miroku was trying to say.

“Had she ever told you that she caught Inuyasha with another woman?” Miroku asked. Kouga nodded.

“I’m assuming she didn’t go further into detail than that” Miroku spoke, more to himself than Kouga. “Did she ever tell you how much Inuyasha meant to her?”

Kouga shook his head, indicating that no, he did not. He wasn’t sure he wanted to hear it anyway. Kagome was his now; what was the point on discussing old feelings with old flings?

“She loved him” Miroku said, pausing for dramatic effect. “She had never loved any other guy the way she loved him. It was a whole new level for her. He broke her heart, though. Now, you know and I know how strong Kagome is, but after Inuyasha…” he broke off, not sure if he should tell his friend’s business like this, but he didn’t want Kouga taking the blame. There wasn’t anyone to blame.

“She wasn’t the same” he finished. “She wouldn’t smile, and if she did it was faked. When people genuinely smile, they smile with their eyes, but Kagome….she didn’t do that anymore. She was quieter, sapped of energy more often from not sleeping, stuff like that. But what I never understood was why she would blame herself for Inuyasha’s infidelities.”

Kouga cocked an eyebrow, just as curious as Miroku’s tone. “Why would she?”

“I don’t know” Miroku stated. “She told Sango that maybe if she had done something differently, like actually slept with Inuyasha that he wouldn’t have felt the need to go to someone else. Well, of course Sango told her that was, for lack of a better phrase, bullshit, and it was. What Kagome was doing was internalizing his actions with herself, which is what two people in a relationship shouldn’t do. Sango and I are engaged and in love, but she is still her own woman; she’s her own person. She is going to make decisions and say and do things that I won’t always agree with, but that’s okay. No matter how much we have in common, or how much we love each other, we’ll always be different. I don’t internalize the things she does with myself because…well…it wouldn’t make sense to. What she does is on her, what I do is on me. What Inuyasha did was on him, what you did is on you. Kagome walking out, that’s on her. You can’t blame yourself for that, and stop trying. Kagome got to a point where she too realized that Inuyasha made his decision and that had nothing to do with her. Once she finally coped with that, she got better. She went back to being Kagome. Granted, there’s always a wound left, and hearing that you kissed another girl while on the way to your house reopened it.”

Kouga’s eyes were slightly wide, taking in everything the wise man before him was saying.

“But that doesn’t make it your fault. When she wakes up, tell her the truth, because she’ll want to know, and explain why you kept it from her. If you have to break down and say ‘Kagome, I didn’t want to let you know how torn up I was over you’ then say it. You might feel a stab to your pride, but a relationship is more important than any personal inhibitions and pride combined.”

Miroku finally stopped talking, and a look came on his face like even he couldn’t believe how much he just spoke. But Kouga understood. He understood what he needed to do. Of course, he would feel a pang of guilt for not telling her about the whole drunken ordeal sooner, but he couldn’t connect _that_ to _this_. She wasn’t shot because of him keeping that from her, she was shot because she was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. As Miroku said earlier, it’s all very unfortunate.

“Thanks” Kouga stated, his voice a little stronger, heart a little lighter, and brow less furrowed. “I needed to hear that” he laughed out. Miroku smirked and nodded.

“Sometimes people need to be reminded of things. However, Sango…”

“Oh, shit” Kouga added.

“Is not going to take this lightly, at all. But she’s like that when it comes to the people she cares about. She…grew up with tough circumstances, losing her parents, couldn’t see her little brother for a long time, so she protects the people she loves now with everything she has.”

“And if that involves beating the shit out of me…”

“Then so be it” Miroku ended, with a smile. “Especially for Kagome.”

888

“Thank you so much Miss…”

“Kaede.”

“Thank you Miss Kaede.”

Hiten walked away from the small tea shop on Denmar street, sticking the notepad he used to write down information the humble shop owner told him in his uniform pants pocket. Manten was currently watching over the crime scene photographer’s shoulder as he took pictures, carefully laying the yellow number cones along the way.

Kagome Higurashi was shot in the thigh, but would be alright. From just meeting the woman one time, Hiten questioned why. Why would anyone want to shoot her?

Then when the nice tea shop owner told him that she saw something that might help speed the investigation along, Hiten attentively took out his notepad and listened. The owner had seen the woman, or Kagome, walk by her shop through the large glass window placed out front. The owner added detail by saying no one liked to walk Denmar at night, or any time really. It was a shady area with shady businesses, and she even had someone break in her tea shop before in attempts to rob her

That’s besides the point. The point is that she saw a black Suzuki slowly following behind the woman. Of course, she thought nothing of it; people drive. But when she was closing up the shop, as soon as she stepped outside, she heard a loud shot, and saw the woman a far distance off crumple to the ground, and the Suzuki speed off.

All Hiten needed to do was go down to the station and access the traffic stop cameras for a tag number, and they’d find who did it. And if they could find who did it, then they could find out why.

888

She didn’t remember why at first, but she knew where she was.

The smell, décor, and lighting were enough for Kagome to deduce she was in a hospital room.

However, she was not making rounds; she was laying down, the monitor beeping steadily, and IV fluid being pumped in her. Her left thigh hurt like a bitch.

Once she registered that she was in pain, she remembered what happened. Last night, when she ran away from the club, she was walking down the street when someone shot her. She couldn’t make out a face, it was dark and she had been running, and she sure as hell didn’t know why.

Kagome didn’t know whether to be relived, scared, or angry, so she felt it all. She closed her eyes, and bit her dry lips. If she would have just stayed in the club, this wouldn’t have happened. As if she suddenly remembered Kouga existed, her eyes shot back open, and she tried to sit up to hit the button to call the nurse. While struggling, she felt a warm and familiar hand on hers, guiding her gently to the button and pressed it. Kagome’s eyes started watering before she even looked up.

“Yes?” a voice came through the speaker.

“She’s awake” the soothing voice cooed.

“Alright, thank you. The doctor will be there soon.”

“Could someone bring water as well, please?”

“Yes ma’am.”

“Thank you.”

The hand on top of Kagome’s let up so that they were no longer pressing down on the button, and moved up to caress her cheek. It was so familiar, soothing, and warm; she didn’t realize she needed this. Kagome sniffled, and a few hot tears spilled, but they were tears of joy.

“Mom” she sobbed. “I missed you.”

888

Kouga woke up, neck sore, but at least it was morning. 8 am to be specific. The emergency room died down, and there was hardly anyone in there for the time being. Miroku and Sango were cuddled up a few seats away from him. Neither of them was leaving until they talked to Kagome, and Kouga _would_ be in the room with her right now except…

Her mom and little brother were in there.

Kouga cursed the gods when he saw a woman walk in the ER, frantic, and a pre-teenage boy right beside her, just as worried. They had come in right after Miroku and Kouga walked back to the ER from their heartfelt conversation. Sango immediately shot up, and called out their names.

Kagome bares resemblance to her mother.

He had seen pictures of her family, but in person, it was different. Those chocolate eyes were the same with her mother and brother. Listening to Miss Higurashi speak, Kouga heard the same tone of voice. It would probably be cheerful if the woman hadn’t drove an hour from home in the middle of the night because she was informed her daughter was shot.

Kouga didn’t even speak to her, and he really didn’t have the chance. Once Sango explained Kagome was going to be just fine, she cried in relief and said that she was staying the night in Kagome’s room.

Kouga figured it wouldn’t be a good idea to go in there and be like ‘I’m the reason your daughter’s here.’

Okay, so that probably would never have to be said, but she would ask who he was, and what happened. When Mama found out what happened, she’d probably hate him forever.

How ironic that they’d meet under these circumstances.

So the trio stayed in the ER, dozing off and waking back up because no one can properly sleep in an emergency room, and waited for morning to come. Miroku and Sango were still asleep, once they found a comfortable enough position to do so. The green eyed desk worker was still there, looking as worn out as ever. He’d be tired too.

He stood up, realizing that his curiosity for Kagome’s condition was stronger than the fear of her mother, and walked to the front desk, asking for permission to go through the doors to her room. Ayame, half asleep, granted it, and so he did. Kouga started the death march to Kagome’s room, knowing that he’d be met with glares from her and eventually her mother and brother.

When he got there, he knocked on the door, and he heard Kagome’s voice.

“Come in.”

He slowly opened the door, and walked in, closing it softly behind him.

Kagome had been crying, that’s for sure. So had her mother, and her brother too, just a little bit.

“If you need me to go…” he began, but was interrupted.

“No” Kagome said, maybe too loud. “Stay, please.”

Kouga nodded, and walked to her bedside, noticing the extra cushioning under her left thigh. He knew she must be in pain, and was going to be in pain for a while. Could she even walk?

“Mom, this is Kouga” Kagome gestured with her wired hand. “My boyfriend.”

Miss Higurashi looked up and eyes widened in honest surprise. Her brother’s did too, but he immediately narrowed them, as if he needed to properly asses the man his sister was with.

“Kagome, I didn’t know you had a boyfriend!” Miss Higurashi cooed. “And such a handsome one at that.”

Kouga smirked tiredly, and Kagome giggled. Oh, was he glad to hear that.

“I’m sorry, mom. It’s only been a little over a month, but I was planning on telling you and Souta soon.”

“No, don’t apologize” Mama stated quickly. “You always tell me things when you’re ready.”

Hearing that made Kagome think back to times where she did indeed tell her mother something when she was ready, her gaze wondered off, obviously feeling nostalgic.

“How old are you?” Souta asked, a little peeved he didn’t know either.

“Twenty five” Kouga answered confidently.

“What do you do?” he asked quickly.

“I’m a bartender, and I fix bikes.”

That last one caught him.

“Like, motorcycles?” Souta asked, curiosity peeked. Kouga nodded, and Kagome joined in the interrogation.

“Kouga has a black ninja bike. Brand new, too.”

“Really? Can I see it?” he asked excitedly. Kagome laughed, Kouga’s smile widened, and Miss Higurashi joined in.

“Souta, why don’t you and I go get some breakfast, and give Kouga and Kagome some time to talk.”

It wasn’t a question, but that’s how mothers liked to phrase things. She smiled genuinely, and walked out with Souta, who happily agreed because his stomach was ‘eating itself’ and soon, Kouga and Kagome were alone. The silence was awkward, because neither person knew who should speak first, or where to start. Kouga knew what he had to say, but not when to say it.

He walked quietly over to the wall opposite of Kagome and reached for a chart. He opened it, and skimmed over Kagome’s file.

“What are you doing?” Kagome asked.

Kouga looked up and smiled. “Well, don’t mind me. I’m just in here to tidy up and take a look at your charts.”

Kagome broke into a full shit eating grin. Kouga was leaning on the wall, faking attention to her charts.

He was reenacting when they first talked.

“Your family seems pretty worried. I know they’re glad you’re okay” Kouga stated in a professional voice. Kagome bit her bottom lip, cheeks hurting from smiling so hard and responded.

“I told them I was fine. I really don’t even feel any pain.”

Kouga smirked.

“That’s because of the medicine you’re on; it numbs the pain” he retorted.

“I’d be just fine without it” Kagome responded, in her best impression of cocky!Kouga.

Kouga laughed heartily at that, and it warmed Kagome’s cheeks.

“It says here that you can go home tomorrow” Kouga said, truthfully repeating the information on the chart.

“What if I don’t feel like moving?” Kagome asked, continuing the reenactment. Kouga moved the chart away from his face and spoke.

“You don’t have a choice. This is an emergency room, strictly for emergencies. You’re recovering, so you’re no longer an emergency.”

Kagome laughed loudly, and a hand shot up to muffle herself. “Well, what happens if my thigh splits back open? Will I be an emergency then?”

Kouga put the chart back on the wall, and leaned back on the wall, crossing his arms over his chest.

“I don’t know. You might not last long enough to come back to the ER.”

“Damn” Kagome stated. “I really said that to you, didn’t I?”

“I should have reported your rude ass” Kouga laughed out, earning more laughs from Kagome.

“Are you the one that stitched me up?” she asked, gesturing to her thigh.

“No, that would be Dr….uh…fuck, I don’t know.”

Kagome laughed again, but muffled herself beforehand.

“Let the laughs out” Kouga said.

“I would but I can’t. It hurts to laugh too hard.”

Kouga cocked his head to the side and responded. “You could, but you’re letting the pain get the better of you. And that’s odd, considering the fact that you barely feel any.”

Kagome remembered exactly what Kouga had done, and mimicked it. She chucked and ‘hmphed’ saying “I still don’t need it either.”

The couple laughed loudly. It was funny how well they remembered that conversation. It was the first time Kagome talked to Kouga; hours after his stitches were put in. It was the beginning to the craziest ride Kagome had ever been on. And she wouldn’t want it any other way. After they quieted down and the silence came back, Kagome cleared her throat and spoke again.

“But I do need you.”

Kagome saw a soft expression cross Kouga’s face as he crossed the room to get to her. He took both her hands, and kissed them gently, not suggestively. It was sweet; a sweetness that she learned Kouga had, but hardly showed. She felt her eyes water, and Kouga sat down in the seat next to her bed, still holding one hand.

“I am so sorry” she said, tears threatening. “I am so, so sorry. I shouldn’t have run out on you; especially over something like that. Whatever you did before we started dating is your business and I have no right to…”

Kouga leaned up and silenced her with a slow kiss. Kagome forgot how good his lips felt, how sweet they could be, and she rendered a pleased moan of appreciation instead of arousal. Kouga leaned back, and spoke. He told it all. He explained, much to his dismay, how upset he was when he saw Kagome kissing Inuyasha. He explained how he got drunk, and Seri so kindly drove him home. He explained how he kissed her, although he didn’t know why. He blamed it on the booze. He even went so far as to finally tell Kagome about Seri. How she liked him, how she had gotten drunk and came to his place; everything. He must have been talking for a while, because his throat felt dry, and he took a small plastic cup off the dresser and poured water in it from the container.

Kagome watched him the entire time. He was telling the truth. He didn’t mess around behind her back. She worried over nothing. When he set his cup back down, he took her hand again and kissed it, his lips cold from the ice.

“I love you, Kagome” he said in that enticing voice of his. “I hate that this happened.”

Kagome nodded, and finally cried. They were tears of relief, Kouga could tell, and he leaned in, capturing her lips with his, and spoke sweet nothings in between kisses. Things along the line of how he loved her, how he was glad she was okay, how beautiful she looked. Kagome realized that that fear of rejection was slipping away. It came back last night and seized her self control out of nowhere, but now, with Kouga kissing her, touching her cheek, looking into her brown eyes with his blue ones, she knew she didn’t have to be afraid anymore.

Kouga was not Inuyasha, and that was the bottom line.

She trusted Kouga, she loved him, she was, dare she say, _in_ love.

And it was all so _new_ ; so unexpected. She never guessed love would find her this way. Her wounds from Inuyasha could close permanently, she believed, and possibly disappear as long as Kouga kissed her like this, touched her like this, looked at her like this…

As long as Kouga loved her, she didn’t have to worry.

And it was a huge relief. Those things alone spoke volumes to her, and she couldn’t feel any more rejuvenated. For a while, they forgot they were in a hospital, and she touched his face and grabbed his arms as the kissing turned a little bit greedier. She forgot there was a pain in her thigh when he whispered to her. She could get lost in him.

The door opened, and the two pulled away from each other, Kouga smirking, and Kagome flushed. In walked Miroku and Sango, both looking drained, but alleviated.

Miroku looked at Kouga while Sango and Kagome talked, and he was glad when he saw Kouga give a small thumbs up. Everything had gone as it should.

“Now, the real problem is…” Sango began.

“Who the fuck did this, and fucking why?” Kouga finished. Everyone nodded their head and hummed in agreement with Kouga’s choice of words.

“Denmar is a bad area” Sango said. “It could have been bad timing.”

Kagome relayed the events. She promised that she could not make out a face from the speed they were traveling, and Kouga continued to push down on his anger.

For the sake of not worrying Kagome, he had been managing his anger since last night. But every time he thought about the flashing lights from the ambulance, he inwardly seethed. At first up until a few moments ago, he was ready to take the blame. Now that he and Kagome talked it out, he could properly seethe. Kagome turned her head to the side and looked at Kouga; angry was an understatement. She knew what he looked like when he was irritated or just mad, but anger was new to her.

She extended her wired hand to touch his, and he took it. The four sat in silence for a while, but it wasn’t awkward. It was as if everyone was trying to figure out what to do about the situation.

“Well, I’m not out for revenge” Kagome broke the silence. Miroku nodded in agreement while Kouga and Sango shook their heads and scowled.

“This isn’t about that” Kouga said, his voice rough. “Whoever did this to you had no right. They need to know that.”

“Also, no one like that needs to be on the streets anyway” Sango added. “No one wants this to happen to anyone else.”

“Was there anyone else walking the street that night, Kagome?” Miroku asked. “Anyone that could have seen what happened.”

Kagome shook her head and said no. The other three sighed and sat back further in their seats. As if on cue, the hospital door opened and in walked the cop with the long braid.

“Officer Hiten” Kouga spoke up.  The other three spoke in greeting while Kouga stood up to shake the man’s hand. It looked like Hiten hadn’t slept all night, probably because he didn’t.

“How are you feeling, Miss Higurashi?” Hiten asked politely.

“You can call me Kagome, and I feel fine now. My thigh hurts, of course.”

“Well, will you be walking, hopping, or rolling out of here?” he asked, a smirk forming on his face.

“For the next week, I’ll be rolling” Kagome laughed. “After that I’ll be hopping for another week or so. Then I can walk.”

Hiten nodded and cleared his throat. “As long as you’re alright. Um…I do have a few questions to ask, and I’d like for it to just be me and you.”

Hiten looked around the room, catching the eyes of her friends that didn’t want to leave, but Miroku stood up and spoke.

“Sango and I are going to the cafeteria for breakfast” he began. “Your mother and brother should still be there.”

He grabbed Sango’s hand and Sango said she’d be back later. Kouga stood up too, not really wanting to leave Kagome, but he understood why. Before he walked out, he looked over his shoulder and asked Hiten a question.

“How’s Kagura?”

“Better” he began. “She’s adjusted to the office life of the precinct just fine. Working in a hospital can do that for you.”

Kouga smirked and nodded, then left the two alone to talk. Hiten took the seat Miroku had been sitting in so that he wasn’t too close to Kagome, but close enough to watch her reactions as he asked these questions.

“Why were you walking Denmar at night?” he began with. Kagome sighed, knowing that this question would continue to be asked, but she answered.

“I was at a club with Kouga” she started. “I don’t even think I remember the name of it. Well, we were inside and I got upset with him about something and ran out. I figured a really quick walk would clear my head, and I swear I wasn’t paying attention to the direction I was going. I just walked. Denmar was quiet, and there wasn’t anyone else out there but me. Then this car turned on the street and was driving kind of slow, but I didn’t think anything of it. Whoever was driving leaned out of the window and started telling me there was nowhere to go and stuff like that. I started running, they sped up, and whoever was in the passenger leaned out of the window and shot me.”

Kagome paused, her throat a little tight because it was a scary occurrence. “Next thing I know, I hear some men running towards me, asking me if I was alright. I think they were walking somewhere a little ways off and heard the shot. I’m so glad they found me. Once the ambulance arrived, a crowd had gathered.”

Hiten stopped her there to clarify a few things. He told Kagome about the tea shop owner who saw her walking by her shop window, and the car that was slowly following behind. Then he explained the tag number.

“The people that shot you were in a black Suzuki. They took a left at the next corner, and pulled to the next intersection. I got the camera recordings showing them going straight through the intersection despite the red light, almost crashing into other people. Fortunately, I ran their tag number and found it under the name of someone named Renkotsu.”

“I don’t know anyone by that name” Kagome added.

The two talked for a little while longer, just trying to pinpoint this as much as possible. There was no valid address for the man named Renkotsu, so finding him would not be easy.

“They didn’t want to kill you” Hiten began. “If they did I think you’d be dead. They were close enough to you to do so; unless they’re amateurs.”

Kagome nodded, just as baffled by it as Hiten was. He bid her a good day and a quick recovery, and left. Kouga must have been standing outside the door, because he was in just as Hiten left. He took his seat as Kagome quickly relayed what Hiten told her.

“Renkotsu” Kouga said. “I don’t know him.”

Kagome laughed. “Of all the people in the city you know…”

“I know” Kouga laughed dryly.

It wasn’t long before the Higurashi’s and Sango and Miroku were back in the hospital room, and Kagome told them what officer Hiten told her. No one knew anyone by that name, but it was alright. As long as Kagome could be surrounded by the people she loved, she was alright. It wasn’t as if she wouldn’t like to see that person behind bars, but she was never a vengeful person anyway.

The door clicked open, and it went dead silent as two people walked in, uninvited.

Not that people need invitations for hospitals, anyway.

“Kagome” Inuyasha spoke, relieved. “How are you feeling?”

Kouga ground his teeth.

Miss Higurashi just blinked.

Souta just blinked.

Miroku face palmed softly.

Sango looked in her purse for a hair tie.

“I’m fine. My thigh is sore, but it’s alright.”

“Good” Inuyasha spoke quickly. Kikyo just stood there, not really making eye contact with anyone. She probably recognized what a horrible idea this was, and didn’t want to be here anyway. They were holding hands, everyone noticed.

“Well” he began. “Do you know who did it?”

“What does it matter to you?” Kouga asked quickly.  Miroku face palmed again, using his other hand so that his face was completely covered. Kagome closed her eyes and sighed, and Souta and Mama looked back and forth, wondering where this tension came from.

“Can’t I be concerned for a friend’s well being?” Inuyasha asked harshly. Kikyo sighed loudly.

“Friend?” Sango began. “Are you fucking serious?”

“Sango!” Kagome yelled, gesturing her eyes towards her mother and brother. Sango mouthed a quick ‘sorry’ before turning back to Inuyasha.

“And why are you in here?” she asked Kikyo. “I’m sure you didn’t wake up this morning and say ‘Let’s go visit Kagome, babe.’”

Kikyo said nothing, but looked at Inuyasha when he spoke. “We were both concerned, okay?” his voice softening.

“That’s great. Now that you know she’s fine, you can leave” Kouga spoke, eyes set on Inuyasha’s.

Knowing that an argument would ensue should he respond, Inuyasha bit his tongue and bid Kagome farewell and ‘get well soon’ as he and Kikyo left. Once they were gone, everybody released a breath they didn’t know they had been holding.

“The guy’s got balls, I’ll give him that” Kouga muttered under his breath.

“Did you see that!?” Sango asked in a high pitched voice. “They were holding hands. Holding…hands! I thought getting stabbed would open his eyes a little bit, but I’ll never know with Inuyasha. Miroku, did you know about this?”

“No” Miroku groaned. “And I didn’t tell him either. But I assume he found out from the news. News travels fast.”

“You guys are so mean” Kagome half laughed. She actually appreciated the visit, but she too was confused as to why Kikyo and Inuyasha were still together.

“We care about you, that’s all” Kouga corrected.

“Okay, what was that about?” Miss Higurashi asked.

“Who got stabbed?” Souta chimed in, clearly confused.

The other four adults looked back and forth at each other because neither wanted to tell the story, so they all simultaneously stated “It’s a long story.”

888

“Welcome home!” Sango chirped, a little too cheery for her own good.

Kagome smiled widely as Kouga carried her to her living room couch. It felt good to be home again.

Miss Higurashi was in the kitchen preparing dinner for everyone; miso and oden much to Kouga’s liking. Souta was sitting on the couch watching TV, glad to see his sister. Miroku was behind Kouga with the wheelchair, and Sango was standing in the living room just happy to see her best friend.

As the chart stated, Kagome was sent home the next day, with prescription pain killers and ‘get well soon’ cards and balloons from coworkers. Kouga called into work and said that he needed a vacation. He was given the go ahead, but he was warned because he had been taking a lot of time off lately. Kagome told him he needed to go, and that she would survive a few hours on her own, but Kouga only kissed her and told her to shut up.

Miss Higurashi and Souta would be leaving in the morning since they lived an hour away. They both said they were fine with sleeping on the couch. It wasn’t totally comfortable, but Kagome didn’t have a bed in the second room in her apartment; there wasn’t anything in there. Miroku had work that day, but got off the same time Kagome was discharged. Of course, he was invited back for dinner, and it was already a given that Sango would be there too.

Kouga sat Kagome on the couch and kissed her forehead.

“It smells so good in here” he declared, rubbing his stomach. Kagome hummed in agreement.

“I’ve missed mom’s cooking. Matter of fact, her miso and oden might be better than mine.”

Kouga’s eyes widened because if Mama’s miso and oden was better than Kagome’s, he just might die of pleasure.

“I don’t think I could handle that” Kouga stated. Kagome laughed, and watched her boyfriend go in the kitchen. Miroku and Sango were talking to Souta while some cartoon was playing.

“It smells so good in here” Kouga declared again, but this time to Mama Higurashi. She smiled warmly, and once again Kouga could tell where Kagome got it from.

“Would you mind helping me chop this parsley?” she asked. Kouga went to the sink to wash his hands, and went to the cutting board and briskly began chopping.

“Wow” she said. “You chop pretty fast.”

“Eh, I live alone” Kouga began. “I’m used to cooking for myself.”

“I see” she said.

He didn’t know why, but he felt like he was being tested. It wasn’t awkward or anything, but Kouga knew that Miss Higurashi was assessing him.

“How long have you known Kagome?” she asked over her shoulder. She was currently at the stove stirring the miso and boiling the oden.

“I say a little over two months, but we’ve only been together for one” he said, feeling a little nervous now.

“Mhm” she said.

Oh yes, she was certainly assessing him.

“Would it be cliché to ask what your plans with Kagome are? Too soon, perhaps?”

Kouga turned around, done with the parsley, and met her eyes. She was kind, yes, but she was serious about this. Any parent would be.

“No” he began. “It’s not too soon. It’s just…”

Kouga broke off for a moment while he got his thoughts together.

“I don’t always make plans for the future. I’m not too concerned about it. But I know that I want Kagome to be with me, no matter what.”

Kouga was pretty sure that his cheeks were turning red. He hoped he didn’t sound to sappy or nonchalant or possessive. He was really nervous now, because that sounded like a proclamation of marriage, which he wasn’t opposed to, but he hadn’t even thought of.  He met Mama’s eyes again, and saw that they were shimmering.

“Oh goodness” she sniffled, smiling. “I’m getting emotional. Sorry.”

She gestured for the cutting board with the parsley and Kouga handed it to her.

“It’s alright” he said. He really wasn’t sure why she was crying. He also didn’t know if he needed to apologize or…

“She’s happy with you” she said suddenly. “I can tell when Kagome likes something and _really_ likes something. She _really_ likes you.”

Kouga laughed quietly and smiled; his nervousness dissipating.

“She loves you” Mama ended.

“Well” Kouga began, turning around to go back to the living room. “I’m a lucky man then.”

He didn’t see it, but Miss Higurashi smiled widely again.

When he was back in the living room, he saw cartoons playing on the TV, and Souta showing Kagome some pictures on his phone. He sat on the far end of the couch, letting Kagome and her brother have some bonding time. Miroku and Sango were sharing a seat in the plush chair adjacent from the couch, having a friendly argument about something.

When dinner was served, the TV was turned off, and everyone sat in the living room and ate. The only two people at the small eating table Kagome had was Kagome herself and Kouga. Conversations were taking place amongst the others, and Kagome thought then was the perfect time to ask Kouga a question.

“Kouga” she stated. He looked up at her, dumpling half hanging out of his mouth, blue eyes wide. It was adorable.

“What were you and mom talking about in the kitchen?”

Kouga swallowed his food before he spoke, and smirked impishly.

“You.”

Kagome opened her mouth to speak, but Kouga stopped her.

“Don’t ask what we talked about” he said, putting a hand up. “It’s between me and her.”

Kagome laughed. “Is it a secret?”

“No” he said, eating another dumpling. “You know, babe, I think your mom has you beat on this meal.”

Kagome put a hand to her chest and gasped. Kouga laughed at her and told her it was okay; her food was still good.

When everyone was finished, Kouga and Souta went off to do the dishes, and the rest were in the living room, joking around. Sango was asking the women for some advice on choosing a place for their wedding and reception, and Kagome squealed once again for the uncountable time in last month on the thought of her best friends finally getting married.

She would be the maid of honor, and Inuyasha would be Miroku’s best man.

Oh, the irony.

“Have you told Kohaku yet?” Kagome asked. Sango smiled and answered.

“Yes. I called him as soon as it happened. He’ll be able to come home for the wedding and reception, but has to leave the day after.”

“Studying abroad going okay for him?” Kagome asked.

“He loves it” Sango laughed. “Of course he misses Japan, but he’s made a lot of friends in Los Angeles, and soccer is going great.”

Kagome was glad. Kohaku went off at such an early age, but Sango thought it would be best. She wasn’t financially able to take care of him when her parents died, but her mother did have relatives that lived in Los Angeles, and they offered to take care of him. Sango hated to see him go, and he hated to leave, but it was for the best.

“Have you figured out a color scheme?” Miss Higurashi asked. Sango and Miroku shook their heads, but Miroku spoke.

“You know purple is my favorite color.”

“But dark purple for a wedding though?” Sango asked, facing scrunching up.

“It could work” Kagome interjected. “Royal purple and white would be nice. Or you could do a lavender and white scheme.”

“Which one do you prefer?” Sango asked.

“It really doesn’t matter to me” Kagome said. “Either one would be nice.”

“Mom!” Souta came out of the kitchen excitedly. “Is it okay of Kouga takes me for a ride on his bike?”

Kouga came behind him, looking guilty. Kagome laughed and looked at her mom.

“Yea mom, can he?” Kagome asked. She saw the conflict on her mother’s face, but she knew she would give in.

Miss Higurashi sighed and finally answered. “That’s fine, I suppose.”

Souta turned around and high fived Kouga, who was laughing about the whole thing.

“But don’t be gone too long” she added. “And bring my son back on one piece” she told Kouga.

“Yes ma’am” he said with a smirk, and grabbed his keys leading Souta out the door.

888

Later that night, Miss Higurashi let Souta sleep on the couch, and she had a blanket thrown over her in the chair.

Kagome and Kouga were cuddled up in bed, Kouga was to her right side so he wouldn’t disturb her left one. He was slowly moving his hands through her scalp, and Kagome closed her eyes and enjoyed it.

“Dr. Myoga said no sexual activity for two weeks” Kouga stated, clearly disappointed. Kagome laughed, but she wouldn’t lie, she was disappointed too.

“You think you can hold out that long?” Kagome asked quietly.

“Anything for you” Kouga said, planting a kiss to her temple. Kagome blushed, and she was glad it was dark so he couldn’t see.

“You say the sweetest things sometimes” she said. “I feel special.”

“You should” Kouga said, his voice barely above a whisper. “I only do that for you.”

Kagome tilted her head up and puckered her lips, and who was Kouga to deny her? He leaned down and kissed her slowly, one hand tilting her chin up so he could angle it right. They kept it slow, probably because anything else would get them too aroused. Although, slow kissing was just as sensual to Kagome, but she couldn’t do anything physical if she tried.

He pulled back to breath, and Kagome turned on her side so her injured thigh was in the air. Kouga turned on his side so he could face her perfectly, and he ran a hand up her leg. Kagome had on a comfortable nightgown that reached her knees, but Kouga ran his hand underneath. The bandages over the stitching were there.

“Does it hurt when I touch it?” Kouga asked, gently moving his hand over it.

“No” Kagome said softly. “It actually feels nice when you’re gentle.”

Kouga kissed her forehead and continued to caress her thigh.

“I love you” she whispered. Kouga leaned in, dangerously close to her lips and breathed her in. He just loved everything about Kagome.

“I love you too, Kagome.”

They kissed again, Kouga’s hand still on her thigh, and Kagome’s hand on his arm.

“I was worried I lost you” Kouga said in between kisses.

Kagome hummed and responded. “I would never leave you” she said, still kissing him.

“Good. Because then I’d have no one to irritate every day of my life.”

Kagome giggled, and they calmed their kissing down.

They fell asleep like that, on their sides, foreheads pressed together, and his hand still on her thigh.

888

When the morning came, Miss Higurashi and Souta left. It was a Monday, but Mama said Souta could be excused from school for the day, but she needed to get back to work also.

A few tears were shed as the two left, and Kagome said one final goodbye from her spot on the couch. Kouga closed the door behind him, and went to lie on the couch next to Kagome.

“I’m scheduled for work tonight” he whined, his head on her lap carefully. Kagome rubbed his head, and laughed at him

“I told you I’ll be fine for a few hours. I’ll just be forced to roll around in the wheel chair.”

“I should probably grab some of my things from the house too” he said. “ _And_ go grocery shopping tomorrow because you don’t have shit in the kitchen.”

“You want junk food, and I don’t have that. That doesn’t mean there’s nothing in the kitchen.”

Kouga turned to lie on his back and look up at Kagome. “Yes. Yes it does.”

Kouga left Kagome’s early because he had to drive so far to get to work. He used her car because his bike was still at home. The bar was a little scarce that night, but there some new faces. A new female bartender was there. Kouga sighed aloud and made his way behind the bar. The girl turned around and smiled.

“You must be Kouga” she cooed. “The other bartender.”

“Yeah” he said. “And you?”

She walked up and offered a hand. “I’m Yura.”

Yura was pretty cool. Kouga thought her voice was annoying as fuck, but her personality was nice. Some guys were flirting with her at the bar, but unlike Seri, she could hold her own. For that, Kouga was relieved. He was no longer saving the day.

A couple guys walked in the car around 10 pm when Kouga was going on break. At least, he thought it was two guys; one of them was kind of androgynous looking. He made himself some greasy nachos and poured himself a drink while he sat at the bar. He sent Kagome a text to ask if she was okay.

_‘I’m fine. And you were right. There isn’t shit in the kitchen. –Kagome’_

_‘You should listen to me more often. –KC’_

Kagome text him back something rude and he chuckled. That’s when he heard it.

“How could you fuck up this badly?”

The two guys that had walked in were sitting in a small booth not too far from where Kouga was. He didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but they were within earshot, so technically it wasn’t eavesdropping.

“You were driving too fast!”

“You should have said something. Ban is gonna’ kill us!”

Kouga tried to tune them out. He wasn’t sure if they knew they were whispering loudly or what, but the conversation sounded like one he shouldn’t be hearing.

“Do you even care?” the androgynous one asked harshly.

“Of course I care! But there’s nothing we can do but find the right chick this time.”

“That is if Ban says you can. He might just send me.”

“As if you can shoot.”

“Shut up, Renkotsu!”

Kouga’s eyes widened and he put his phone down, slowing down the chewing on his nachos. He was never hard of hearing, so he _knew_ he heard correctly. Kouga replayed the conversation in his head over and over again, getting more anxious by the second. Yura noticed his scowl and him staring off into the distance, so she came down the bar to speak to him.

“There a problem?” she asked, wiping down the counter.

Kouga turned his head to her, his scowl still set. “Yeah, there is. Will you do me a favor?”

Yura stopped wiping and leaned in so Kouga could whisper in her ear. She leaned back with a confused look on her face, but agreed to his request.

“Yeah, I can do that.”

Yura walked from behind the bar, and Kouga quickly disposed of his trash and went behind the bar because someone always needed to be working. He continued where she left off and wiped the counter while looking at her from the corner of his eye. She was making conversation with them, clearly flirting as well. The androgynous one didn’t seem too intrigued, but the other one…the one called Renkotsu was flirting right back. Soon before long, Yura had sat next to Renkotsu in his booth seat; it was a tight fit. Kouga counted five minutes they had been talking, and then Yura got up and waved.

When she came back to the bar, she started to serve other customers, and made sure the guys she was just talking to weren’t watching her. She moved closer to Kouga who was pouring drinks as well and spoke.

“The funny looking one is Jakotsu, and the straight one is Renkotsu. He drives a Suzuki. Now, why did you ask me to flirt with him again? And why did you need to know what kind of car he drives?”

But Kouga really wasn’t listening. Renkotsu. Suzuki.

That was all he needed.

“Yura” Kouga stated lowly, “Call the cops and ask for an officer Hiten. Tell them Kouga said to come here.”

Yura looked worried and confused; not sure what was even going on. Kouga looked at her, his jaw set, and spoke again.

“Just do it.”

Yura gulped and watched as Kouga walked from behind the bar over to the table where Jakotsu and Renkotsu were sitting. She had the bar phone to her ear, waiting for the dispatcher to pick up. A female voice came over the line, and Yura did what Kouga asked. When the dispatcher asked what the emergency was, glass shattered and Kouga had Renkotsu by the neck.

888

It was 2 am.

Kouga was supposed to get off at 12.

‘He should be here by now’ Kagome thought.

Kagome sighed heavily and continued to flip channels. There was nothing on at 2 am in the morning except weird stuff and infomercials. She was intrigued by this advertisement for a blender, considering she liked her smoothies, but she quickly turned because that’s exactly how the reeled people in.

While flipping channels, she thought about her life for the past few months. It had taken a huge turn ever since she met Kouga, and she couldn’t be happier. Sure, there were misunderstandings, drama, and guns, but somehow she could forget all that when Kouga was around. She smiled while thinking about him. She missed him, and was glad that he was on his way back to her. She needed him to cuddle her and kiss her again.

Kagome finally landed on the local news channel, and decided that was better than nothing. There were a few crazy reports of stuff happening on the outskirts. For example, there was a really crazy bar fight tonight at some place called The Track. There were several police cars there.

“Wait, what!?” Kagome yelled, turning up the volume on the TV to listen to the reporter speak.

_“Officials say 36 year old Renkotsu Shinobi was attacked by twenty five year old bartender Kouga Convel. Convel is the boyfriend to Kagome Higurashi, the twenty four year old nurse for Edo Hospital that was shot in the thigh this past Friday night. Higurashi is recovering, but a warrant for Shinobi’s arrest had been issued….”_

Just then, the apartment door opened, and in walked Kouga with nasty scratches on his face and forearms, leather jacket over his shoulder, and a bloody lip.

“Kouga!” Kagome yelled, standing up. She forgot she was injured, and sat back down quickly when pain shot through her left leg.

“Kagome” Kouga began, seeing the report on the TV. Feeling that it was better for Kagome to hear the story from his lips, he grabbed the remote and turned the TV off. Kagome’s eyes were watering.

“What happened?”

“Renkotsu” Kouga began, taking a deep breath and sitting next to his girlfriend. “He was at the bar.”

Kouga repeated the conversation he overheard to Kagome, and Kagome gasped every few seconds in disbelief. If they were looking for someone else, why did they think she was the one that needed to be shot?

“I’m so confused” Kagome said, her hands on the sides of her face. “Kouga, why didn’t you just call the cops instead of getting in a fight? Look at you! You’re hurt!”

Kouga leaned back farther into the couch as Kagome scolded him. He really didn’t think she’d be mad about him taking up for her, but then again, leave it to a nurse to be concerned for health first.

“Kagome, I barely feel any pain.”

Kagome stopped mid-sentence when she saw the mischievous grin on Kouga’s face.

“I had the other bartender call the police right before I went over to confront Renkotsu and his ‘friend.’ He drives a black Suzuki, Kagome, what else was I supposed to do?”

Kagome groaned because she was used to Kouga’s stubbornness, but that factor shouldn’t be grounds for him getting hurt.

“What if they would have shot you, huh?” she began. “You have no idea who you’re dealing with. Kouga, you could have been killed, and then what!? What if I would have lost you?”

Kouga’s smirk dropped, seeing that Kagome was really serious about this. He scooted closer to her and turned her face towards his, leaning in close.

“Kagome, I’m sorry” he said. He felt like he had been saying that a lot lately. “I was angry, and I wanted to get revenge. Because what if I would have lost _you_?”

Kagome’s eyes continued to shimmer as she took in his words and the scratches on his face.

“Officer Hiten showed up in no time, and then some other cops from the precinct did too. I won’t be getting in any trouble. I told him about the conversation, and Renkotsu and his friend should be at the station getting questioned now.”

For a while, nothing was said. Kouga hadn’t let go of her face, and Kagome’s eyes hadn’t stopped shimmering. It was then that he felt exhaustion setting in. After all, he did get into a mean fight.

“Do you have a first aid kit or something?” Kouga asked quietly.

Kagome nodded. “It’s in the bathroom under the sink.”

Kouga nodded back and got up. The bright light in the bathroom really showed just how badly his injuries were, but it didn’t make a difference to him. He kicked Renkotsu’s ass, and that would be worth scratches any day.

-Flashback-

“What the hell!?”

“You think you can shoot my girlfriend and get away with it? Huh!?”

Jakotsu stood up and moved away from the booth, debating whether to leave or stay. Bankotsu would be livid if Jakotsu left a fellow brother behind, so he stayed. Renkotsu tried to gulp to the best of his ability considering he had two strong hands wrapped around his neck. How did this guy know?

“H-how…”

“You should really learn to whisper” Kouga growled. “I could hear your whole conversation from where I was sitting, dumbass!”

“Kouga!” Yura yelled from the bar. “The police are on their way!”

That was when Kouga heard a bottle breaking and footsteps behind him. He let go of Renkotsu’s neck only to turn around and block his face from getting cut with his forearm. Kouga lunged, pushing Jakotsu on the ground and punching him twice before he spoke.

“You’re hot” Jakotsu said, smirking. “But you’re really not my type.”

Kouga scowled even deeper and cocked a fist back to punch again when Renkotsu came behind him and grabbed him by the neck. The rest was a blur to Kouga. He felt nails scratching his face, most likely from Jakotsu, and Renkotsu’s arm tight around his neck. He felt a sharp nail scratch his lip and a metallic taste fill his mouth. Before he knew it, Jakotsu was on the ground clutching his head. Kouga looked up and saw Yura with a light wooden chair in her hands. She whirled behind Renkotsu to do the same thing, but he moved out of the way in time causing Kouga to get hit in the back.

“Fuck, Yura!” Kouga yelled.

“Sorry!” she squeaked. Renkotsu stood up and made a beeline towards the exit, but Kouga was right on his tail. Grabbing him by the back of the shirt, Kouga pulled him to the ground and proceeded to get on his knees and punch him repeatedly.

There was screaming from a few girls in the bar, and cheering from some guys, and Yura was screaming at Kouga to stop, but he wasn’t going to let up. This bastard _shot_ Kagome. There was no way he was getting away without Kouga letting him know he fucked with the wrong people this time. Renkotsu’s face was a bloody mess, and that only made him want to keep punching.

“You could have killed her, you worthless piece of shit!” Kouga yelled, still punching.

“Kouga!” Yura screamed again. “You’re gonna’ kill him!”

Kouga lifted his bloody fist back for a final good punch, but then he felt a heavy hand on his shoulder. He turned his head to the side, and was greeted with Hiten’s worried face.

“Let him go, Kouga” Hiten instructed. Kouga wasn’t an idiot; he knew that refusing an officer would result in him getting wheeled away in a cop car too, so he stood up, slightly stumbling, and breathing heavily.

“Renkotsu Shinobi” Hiten began, pulling out a pair of handcuffs. “You are under arrest.”

The rights were read, and Kouga looked to see Jakotsu pouting and still clutching his head, and Yura standing behind him, slowly setting down the chair. Whatever Yura did, she must have done a number on him.

It wasn’t long before other cops showed up, and some local media too. An ambulance was called for Renkotsu. He would have to be taken to the hospital for stitches above his right eyebrow. It wasn’t until he was whisked away in an ambulance and Jakotsu in a cop car that Kouga started to calm down. He couldn’t remember a time where he had gotten into a fight that brutal, probably because he never had. The bar was cleared out, and no one really minded anyway. After all, they were just treated to a free fight.

Kouga was sitting at the bar with a cold washcloth pressed to his face. Yura was sweeping up glass and situating the bar again.

“Do you think I’ll get fired?” she asked over her shoulder, still sweeping.

“No. If anything, this will make boss like you more” Kouga said.

A few seconds later, Hiten walked in again, observing the scene around him.

“You won’t be reprimanded for this” he said with a sigh. “But you know you should have called the cops and _waited_.”

“The bastard shot my girlfriend” Kouga said. “And he didn’t even shoot the right girl.”

Hiten furrowed his eyebrows and pulled his notebook out of his pocket, ready to write. Kouga told him about the conversation he overheard, and he noticed Hiten’s face scowl deeper and deeper until he was done.

“Hiten” Kouga began. “What’s wrong?”

“Kouga!”

All heads turned to the entrance of the bar when Kouga’s boss, Damon, walked in with a worried looking Seri behind him.

“Fuck my life” Kouga muttered under his breath.

“Are you alright!? What happened? Yura, what happened!?” Damon was asking questions endlessly until finally Yura stopped him and pulled him and Seri to a corner to explain what happened. Hiten turned his attention back to Kouga and saw that Kouga was still waiting on an explanation. He inhaled deeply and exhaled, ready to explain.

“I may be wrong” he began.”But I think I know who Renkotsu and Jakotsu work for.”

“Who!?” Kouga half yelled, leaning forward in his seat. “Who do they work for?”

“I will not say any names right now” Hiten said which prompted a growl from Kouga. “But I know he is a drug lord in the bad areas of Tokyo.”

“Drug lord?” Kouga repeated, baffled. “Kagome doesn’t even use.”

“I don’t know” Hiten said. “If you said that Renkotsu said he shot the wrong person then they were looking for someone that looked like Kagome.”

Kouga shook his head, not really understanding. He was actually just ready to get back to Kagome. Getting items from his house could wait till later; he needed to be with Kagome now.

“But when we question him, I will call you first thing” Hiten ended. Kouga wrote his cell phone number down in Hiten’s notebook, and proceeded to get up to leave.

“Kouga” Damon stopped him. “Are you alright? Yura told me everything. I didn’t even know you had a girlfriend!”

Kouga was slightly peeved by his boss’ words. He wasn’t sure why, but he just was. The fact that his daughter, who had a huge part in this situation, was standing behind him didn’t lessen that peeved feeling.

“Yeah” Kouga said in a nonchalant manner. “She’s fine though.”

That was probably an odd way to end that conversation, but it didn’t matter to Kouga. He turned around and walked out the door, finally feeling the pain of the fight seeping into his muscles. That chair Yura hit him with by accident was sure to leave a bruise or three. When he reached Kagome’s car, he unlocked it and got in, revving the engine up right away.

“Kouga!’

Kouga cursed into the air silently, and turned to look out the window. It was Seri coming towards the car. He rolled down the window, and just for the sake of entertainment, raised his eyebrow in curiosity of what Seri wanted.

“I just wanted to say that I’m sorry” she began, green eyes wide. “I don’t know what came over me, I-I just…I was so jealous.”

Kouga nodded and asked, “Anything else?”

Seri’s eyes watered, for what, Kouga would never know why, nor would he understand. Kouga still despised her for what she did, but he knew that he couldn’t place the blame on her entirely. All Seri was was a jealous, young, naïve, emotional girl with no comprehension of true love or what it means to let people go.

“Seri” Kouga began. “There is no way I’ll forget what you did, but I can forgive. Trust me when I say I’m not doing this out of the goodness of my heart or some sympathetic shit like that. I have a girlfriend whose passive ways have started to rub off on me, so if there’s anyone you should thank for me not betraying my personal rule of hitting a woman, you should thank her.”

And with that, Kouga pulled off.

He wasn’t sure if that was nice or not; Kouga wasn’t sure of a lot of things at the moment. The only thing he was sure of was that he wanted to get back home to Kagome. That was all that mattered.

-End of Flashback-

Kouga looked in the bathroom mirror and saw that he cleaned the scratches up as well as possible, and his bloody lip had been cleaned too. There were still feint scars on his chest from his motorcycle accident too. Although his stitches had been removed, the scars would remain, and he was okay with that. If he hadn’t have crashed that damn bike, he wouldn’t have met Kagome.

Those scars were bittersweet reminders.

The scratches on his face and forearms wouldn’t leave scars, but they’d be around for a little while. Kouga turned around and looked over his shoulder in the mirror. There were indeed small patches of bruises on his lower back from that chair, but to that he only sighed and clicked the light off while leaving the bathroom, not even bothering to put his shirt back on.

Kagome looked up from her spot on the couch and let her eyes roam over Kouga. Kouga knew she wasn’t doing it out of lust, or at least he didn’t think so, but she was checking for injuries and extensive damage.

“I’m sorry for yelling at you” she said quietly once she saw that he was alright. Kouga walked over to the couch and sat next to her again, pulling her head to his chest. He kissed the top of her forehead.

“I feel like all we’ve been doing lately is apologizing to each other” Kouga said, running his fingers through her long hair. Kagome nodded her head in agreement, and Kouga looked at the clock.

“It’s past 3 a.m., and I’m sleepy” he whined. Kagome giggled and moved from her position so that she was facing Kouga.

“I bet” she said, before she planted a kiss to his lips. She could feel him holding back because of the cut on his lip, but she didn’t mind. “Let’s go to bed” she whispered. Kouga grinned and picked her up bridal style, carrying her to the bedroom.

They kissed selfishly, and touched each other excessively. Kagome expressed how worried she was for him when he was brought into the ER with injuries. Kouga laughed and expressed how pretty he thought she was when he first saw her.

He loved her passion. That would always be a good word to describe Kagome. She’s passionate about the things and the people she cares about, yet somehow she manages to maintain a cool demeanor the entire time. Unless she’s mad. Kouga didn’t understand how she did it; be fiery and calm all at the same time, but he guessed he liked the mystery.

She loved his strength. Kagome understood that Kouga had grown up living a difficult life losing the people closest to him, but he was strong. He always called her strong, but sometimes she wondered if Kouga knew how strong he was. There was a reason people were drawn to him; he had a confident mentality that was contagious once you were around long enough. Kouga would always be a fortress for her to lean on when she got weak, and she’d do the same for him in return.

“I love you” Kouga said, kissing her cheek, the couple dozing off.

“And I love you” Kagome said, smiling. Kouga turned on his side to reach an arm to turn the lamp off, and kissed Kagome one last time before falling asleep.


	20. 20

 

_Cue Music – Cherry Blossoms: Jia Peng Fang_

Kagome watched, misty eyed, as her two best friends floated across the marble floor. If she could talk without her voice shaking, she would simply describe them as radiant. The room was dimly lit, the majority of light landing in the middle where the newlyweds danced slowly. Miroku had always had an heir of grace around him, and it showed in his movements. Sango, who was also capable of gracefulness, had spent extra time practicing their first dance before the night actually happened to make sure she didn’t screw it up.

Kagome had seen the dance before, since they so kindly asked her to judge, and she obliged with no hesitation. Even though it was nothing new, the dance was even more stunning with Miroku in his finely pressed black tuxedo, royal purple tie, and Sango in her white dress. She and Kagome _had a ball_ picking out the perfect one, and Sango was so close to walking down the aisle naked until she found _it_.

It was a Japanese Camellia floor length dress. The lace and satin complimented each other in intricate patterns all the way down. Her long brown hair, which had seen too many days of boring ponytails, was done in a fine fashion where her bridal tiara was clipping a small portion of it together in the back, and the rest of the dark brown locks were curled in a funnel style down her back. She looked like a princess.

She watched as Miroku’s eyes, so deep in color they looked purple when the light reflected off them, gazed into Sango’s brown ones. Although the building was full of people, the two only saw each other. The music, traditional Japanese with an ounce of modern, sounded in the room, and everyone stood in a circle to watch the couple do their first dance. Sango left the song to Miroku’s picking, and he had no problem finding something they could dance to.

“They look great together.”

Kagome turned her head to her left, and looked down, although not too far, at Sango’s little brother, who wasn’t so little anymore.

“Yeah” she spoke dreamily. “They do.”

Since both Sango and Miroku’s parents were dead, Kohaku walked his sister down the aisle. Kagome, from her spot at the altar as maid of honor, had to bite her lip to keep from crying. Kouga, in his black tuxedo and hair down in public, smiled at her from the crowd, letting her know it was okay to cry if she needed to.

The whole day had been a swell of tears, really. She almost cried once Sango was all done up in her wedding dress. Thankfully, Ayame was alongside her, telling her she’d screw up her make up if she started crying. So, she didn’t. But Kagome didn’t know how much more she could take while looking at her friends stare at each other like there was no one else in the world except for them.

“He better treat her right.”

Kagome smiled at Kohaku, who looked quite handsome with his sun kissed skin, thanks to soccer, and hair down with a nice cut. The sixteen year old had certainly grown up, and Kagome was sure all the girls were after him back home.

“You know he will” Kagome answered, and then the song was over.

Everyone clapped, some whistled, as the couple turned to bow repeatedly in all directions. Kagome clapped as loud as she could, touching the corners of her eyes with tissue, which she wasn’t sure where it came from, to catch any tears. They sat down at their designated table; Kagome next to Sango, and Inuyasha next to Miroku.

It was only a little annoying that Inuyasha was the best man and she was the maid of honor. That meant they had to walk in together, and while it meant nothing, Kagome still found it awkward.

Even though the events of six months ago were long gone, there would always be memories. She watched as Kikyo came over and sat next to Inuyasha. She looked beautiful in her dark purple gown, off the shoulder. Her hair was down and perfectly strait as always, eyes with a touch of shadow to compliment her gown, and a belly full of baby.

Well, that was an awkward way to put it, but yes, Kikyo had the typical ‘glow’ in her pregnancy stage. Her eyes seemed a little brighter, hair shinier, and smile fuller these days. Kagome knew that had to do with the pregnancy, as well as the fact that she and Inuyasha were together and surprisingly happy. Actually, the two were planning on getting married after the baby was born.

And Kagome would be attending.

When Sango told her what Inuyasha told Miroku, Kagome was needless to say, shocked. She wasn’t sure why or how, but for Inuyasha to accept such a responsibility when he and Kikyo were having so many problems was startling. She tried to wrap her mind around why a man would accept responsibility for a child that wasn’t his, especially after what Kikyo did to him. Then she realized that maybe it wasn’t meant for _her_ to understand, and she noticed that the couple looked happier together than she had ever seen them apart, and that was all that mattered.

“Alright, move it, kid.”

Kohaku, Kagome, and the new couple all turned their head to the left to find the origin of the voice, and smiled when they saw who it was.

“Excuse me sir” Kohaku cleared his throat, and moved down a seat while Kouga put a reassuring hand on his shoulder to let him know that it was all in good humor, but he really did want to sit next to his girlfriend though. He took the offered seat, and placed an arm around Kagome, who instinctively leaned into it.

“Are you done opening the floodgates?” Kouga teased, patiently and impatiently waiting for the toast so he could get some champagne. That was something he hadn’t had in a while. Kagome smacked his chest playfully, and Kouga feigned hurt.

“I’m sorry” Kagome said, not really sorry. “They just looked so perfect.”

The couple turned the heads to the married couple, who were standing up, shaking hands with fellow co-workers and doctors in thanks. Inuyasha was leaning into Kikyo, whispering something in her ear, causing the woman to laugh tenderly.

The room was decorated with round tables clothed in white and dark purple flowers and accents. Everyone dressed for the occasion, and Kagome spotted her mom and brother a distance away, chatting with other people from their table. Everything was perfect.

It was soon time for the toasts, and the people designated to speak first were of course the best man and maid of honor. Inuyasha, who seemed to have no problem speaking in front of crowds, stood up, straitening our his tux, and went around the wedding group table to stand in a good spot in front of everyone with a microphone, glass of champagne in the other. Kikyo’s glass was full of sparking water, of course.

“Is this thing on?” Inuyasha spoke, smirking mischievously as he needlessly tested it, causing the crowd to laugh genuinely, the newlyweds to roll their eyes, and Sesshomaru, sitting at a table with people from the surgical unit, to sigh quietly, an excited Rin in his lap. He cleared his throat and began his speech.

“Okay. If any of you in here know me then you know that I’m not the perfect speaker. So, if I say anything that offends anyone, I’m apologizing in advance. I might let my tongue slip because while Mr. and Mrs. Perfect were taking photos for forty hours, I was hitting up the bar.”

Everyone laughed, and he waited to continue his speech.

“Well, I didn’t write anything out. When they told me I had to speak, I thought of all kinds of things to say. Most of them to embarrass Miroku, but I decided not to do that.”

More laughter, and a thankful Miroku, he continued.

“Miroku has been my best friend for ten years. It started before we worked together, and hopefully it will continue. If you know him, then you know he is an honest, smart, funny, charming, too much for his own good, loyal guy, and Sango is a lucky woman to have him.”

Sango had grown to accept Miroku and Inuyasha’s relationship. No matter what stupidity Inuyasha engaged in, Miroku would always be his friend; that was a given. Granted, there were still things about him she didn’t like, but that was Sango; so that too was a given.

“I’ve made some dumb decisions” he said. “I’ve said some stupid stuff, hurt people, and refused to take responsibility for my actions. Really, I shouldn’t have any friends, but Miroku…he never lets me down. No matter what I’ve done, or what I do, he has always been and always will be there. If there was anyone who didn’t give up on me, it was him, and I don’t think I can ever find the right words to tell you how thankful I am for that.”

Inuyasha’s voice was a little choked, and Miroku had a knowing smile on his lips, as did the rest of the wedding table. They knew all too well the mistakes and decisions he’d made, and knew that yes, Miroku was with him the whole time, preaching in his ear even though he didn’t listen.

Inuyasha cleared his throat and raised his glass, the crowd following suit. “Well then, let’s make a toast to the new couple.” He turned to face Miroku and Sango. “May you two have a permanently happy, loving, and fulfilling relationship. Sango, don’t kill him please, and Miroku, don’t piss her off…please.”

The crowd laughed, Sango smiled up at Miroku, and waited for the couple.

“To the newlyweds.”

“To the newlyweds” the crowd repeated.

“Let’s knock ‘em back!”

Kagome almost laughed out her champagne at that command, and laughed out loud when someone from the crowd cheered like it was a party. Kouga, who knew he wasn’t supposed to drink all the champagne but did anyway, half-slammed his glass back on the table and cheered too. When Inuyasha took his seat, Kagome stood up, nervously, and walked to the designated spot.

Kouga watched her move in her dark purple dress. It wasn’t tight, but it did cling to her slightly. Her hair was done like Sango’s was, except not in funnel fashion. It was clipped in the back the same, and the rest was down and curly. She looked gorgeous, as he thought she did every day, he just didn’t say it. She was complaining about how nervous she was to speak in front of everyone, and he only reminded her that she was confident in everything else, so of course she could be confident in this.

“Good evening” she said. The crowd greeted her back, and she took a deep breath before speaking.

“I didn’t write anything down either” she started. “But it’s always easier for me to speak from the heart, especially when the people I’m speaking about are already there.”

The crowd awed, and Kouga smiled knowingly.

“I’m a little less trouble than Inuyasha” she teased, earning more laughs. “But I too have been through things that Sango, along with Miroku, have helped me with. I used to envy their relationship, actually. They have a strong bond that anyone can notice, and I said when I grow up I wanna be like them.”

Sango smiled, and Miroku laughed.

“Their relationship taught me that when the right people are put together, adversities don’t stand a chance. That when two people are in love, and honest about it, nothing stands in their way. I’ve also learned what it means to have a true friend. Sango is more like a sister to me than anything, and I am so glad that she’s with someone that makes her smile, and laugh, and irritated as much as Miroku does.”

The crowd laughed, and Sango nodded in agreement.

“But whatever happens, I know they’ll still love each other. It was difficult for me to watch my best friend date, then love, then fall in love, then get engaged, find a wedding dress, make wedding plans, exchange vows, dance with her husband. It’s difficult because I feel like I’ll be spending less and less time with her.”

Kagome let a tear fall, as did Sango.

“But it won’t be like that. This is a new chapter in your lives, and no matter what, whether you want me to or not, I’ll always be a part of it. Let’s embrace it. Sango, you are so strong and beautiful, and you’ve found someone that appreciates that and you for all that it is, and all that you are. Miroku…” she broke off to regain her composure. “Take care of my best friend. She means the world to me, and I know you love her, so you should have no problem making her happy.”

Miroku grabbed Sango’s hand under the table, and looked into her eyes that were shimmering with fresh tears. Kagome lifted her hand, and the crowd did too, and she gave her final words.

“Sango and Miroku, let love carry you for the rest of your days. Let love bind you in the ways that everyone knows it already has. I love you both. Cheers.”

Everyone sipped their champagne this time instead of knocking it back, and clapped as Kagome took her seat. Sango and Miroku stood up and bear hugged her almost, both impressed and happy with her speech.

“I love you” Sango said, voice tight with emotion.

“I love you too” Kagome replied, in the same boat.

When she sat down, she wiped her eyes with tissue, which she still wasn’t sure where it came from, and leaned into Kouga’s arm again.

“I knew you would do just fine” Kouga said, patiently and impatiently waiting for his glass to be refilled because he drank it all. Kagome laughed, and turned to kiss him briskly.

For the next few minutes, Sango and Miroku stood up to give their thanks and both refrained from telling embarrassing stories about the other. Food was served, and delicious, much to Kouga’s liking. And soon, music was being played, and attendees were standing up to crowd the dance area. Before any of the couples at the wedding table could stand to dance, they watched another couple walk in the entrance.

“Oh my…” Sango stated.

“Is that…” Kouga added.

“Oh kami…” Kagome finished.

They watched the couple walk up to them, or they assumed they were a couple. They certainly were matching and linked up like they were.

“Congratulations” Hiten spoke to Sango and Miroku, who were staring wide eyed at the woman on his arm.

“Well, damn” Kouga chimed in, catching Kagura’s attention. “I see why you got promoted so fast at the station.”

Everyone laughed, even Kagura, who also seemed happier these days.

“It’s not like that, Kouga” Kagura said, her voice as it always was, but a small smile on her face. She looked great in her Greek style purple gown, hair down and not in a tight bun, and fabulous nails to match. Her date was just as good looking, with his braid unbraided, hair down in waves, and dressed in a tuxedo.

“Are you two…” Sango started to inquire.

“Yes” Hiten answered quickly, and Kagura rolled her eyes, but Kagome noted the small blush on her cheeks.

“Congratulations” Kouga said. “Good luck with that, Hiten.”

Everyone laughed, and the couple left to dance as well.

It had been a while since they saw the cop, but he had done so much for them, so of course they invited him. It had been a crazy six months on his part while he worked on one of the biggest drug bust cases of his career. After Kagome was shot and they brought in Renkotsu and Jakotsu, they both sang like a canary, ratting out that Bankotsu, their boss, told them to shoot Kagome. Only, it wasn’t Kagome they were directed to shoot. It was Kikyo.

Turns out, Bankotsu was a secret drug lord with a normal job for cover up. Naraku owed Bankotsu some serious money, and needless to say, once he was sent to a mental facility, he couldn’t pay him back. Bankotsu knew Naraku was involved with Kikyo from random guy talk. When he didn’t get his money, he decided to hit Naraku where it would hurt, so he would learn a lesson.

Renkotsu and Jakotsu were given a picture of Kikyo, and directed to ‘take her out.’ They thought it was Kikyo they saw while they were at the club, they thought it was Kikyo they were following, and they thought it was Kikyo they shot.

All three were being put away for time that was currently indefinite, and Kagome didn’t straighten her hair for a long time after that. Kikyo felt like shit, of course, but Kagome told her it wasn’t her fault.

Kouga was livid, naturally, because he knew Bankotsu. He thought he was a good guy, and he met Kagome. On their first date when Kouga took her to Li’s Palace, Bankotsu was the one that sat them and served them. It was all bullshit in his eyesight.

“What are we sitting here for?” Kouga asked loudly, standing up. “I’m ready to fucking move.”

Everyone cheered in agreement, and even Kikyo got up to dance with Inuyasha. As soon as Kagome and Kouga linked hands, a song came on that she loved and really got the crowd going.

_Cue Music – Too Young: Phoenix_

“Oh yes” Kagome squealed; that typical noise when a girl hears her favorite song. Kouga grabbed her by the waste and the two started moving to the words.

_“Baby when I saw you turning at the end of the street_

_I knew a time was gone and it took me like ages…”_

 

“I haven’t heard this in forever” Kouga said, while twirling Kagome. Kagome hummed in agreement, and looked around her. Souta and Kohaku were dancing with her mom, and Miss Higurashi was a giggling mess. Much to her surprise, Sesshomaru was a few feet away from Inuyasha and Kikyo, dancing with Rin.

_“Can’t you hear it calling, oh yeah._

_Everybody’s dancing, oh yeah._

_Tonight everything is over_

_I feel too young.”_

Kagome moved and swayed, because the chorus was her favorite part. Here she was, surrounded

by people she loved, music she loved, and in the arms of the man she was in love with. This night couldn’t possibly get any better. Kouga and Kagome sung loudly, both out of tune, at the bridge.

 

_“Oh the rainfalls and hard times coming they won’t leave me tonight._

_I wish I knew what I was doing_

_Just do let this spirit survive_

_Everybody’s dancing, oh yeah.”_

They looked in each other’s eyes for the final line before the chorus.

 

_“I guess I couldn’t live without the things that make my life what it is.”_

The two danced the night away, not caring if their feet felt tired or if others were gradually leaving the dance floor. They stopped for a while to eat cake, which Sango glared at Miroku and dared him to smear any on her. Turns out Hiten had two left feet, and was only a little embarrassed by Kagura making fun of him.

 

As more people left, Kouga tugged Kagome’s arm, and gestured her toward the side doors, so they could go outside and cool off. Kagome followed, and Kouga took off his tuxedo coat and handed it to her so she wouldn’t get too cold.

 

“I’m having so much fun” Kagome cooed, spinning in circles while they walked slowly, the moon bright overhead. The location Sango and Miroku chose wasn’t too far from the coastline, and there was a body of water over a small hill. That’s where the two were walking.

 

“I was having a hard time keeping up” Kouga said, referring to her dance moves. Kagome laughed, and soon the two were standing on the hill, overlooking the tiny ripples of black water here and there from movement from an unknown source.

 

Kagome turned her head towards Kouga and took him in. He looked ethereal for a moment, with his hair down, stark as the night sky above them, and blue eyes shining in the moonlight.

 

“If you’re going to stare at me, make it less awkward and start a conversation.”

 

Kagome laughed incredulously, humored by Kouga’s impression of her from when they first ate together at the hospital. If she only knew then that she’d be standing by his side under a clear sky and in love…

 

“I love you” she said, not caring if she sounded sappy. Kouga turned to her, and grabbed her chin with a rough, warm hand.

 

“Not as much as I love you” he said, then kissed her lips.

 

Kagome would never get tired of this. She’d never bore of the chaste kisses, cheek kisses, Eskimo kisses, long kisses, tongue kisses; it would never cease to light a fire in her that she knew could only be caused by _him_.

 

Kouga’s heartbeat was increasing, slowly but surely. It started that morning, transcended to the afternoon, worsened that evening, and was about to kill him tonight. He could never recall himself being this nervous ever in his life. Damn Kagome and her ability to change things.

 

“Prove it” Kagome taunted. Such an innocent taunt.

 

“Kagome, I…” Kouga broke off, because he wasn’t sure how to do this. He practiced, but practice didn’t prove fruitful in an unknown situation. He wasn’t sure how to go about this, so he started panicking.

 

Kagome noticed Kouga’s nervousness, and was confused. His eyes were looking down, hands holding hers a little too tightly, and he was worrying his bottom lip; a gesture he picked up from her over the months. What was wrong? Now Kagome’s heart was beating a little too fast for her pleasure.

 

“What’s wrong?” she asked. When he answered her with a shake of the head, it got worse.

 

“Kouga” she grabbed his face in between her hands. “What is wrong?”

 

Kouga blinked, his eyes now locked on Kagome’s, and she could see the edginess in them too. It was like a storm was brewing in those ocean orbs, and Kagome wanted to know what was causing it.

 

“It’s nothing bad” he started, giving some relief. “I just don’t know how to go about it. I’m at a loss for words.”

 

“That’s a first” Kagome joked, and Kouga laughed, still nervous. He moved his head out of her hands and fisted his hands in the pocket of his slacks. Kagome crossed her arms around her, not sure what was going on, and needed to hold on to _something_ for support.

 

“Well, I don’t know if this is too soon, but…” he broke off again to look at her. Her brown eyes were worried, and Kouga smiled at her in attempts to comfort her. It didn’t seem to work. He took a deep breath and continued.

 

“I don’t think you know just how much you’ve changed me for the better” he said. “I mean, months ago I wouldn’t dream of living with a woman I could call my girlfriend, much less loving. Kagome, you mean the world to me, and I thank the kamis everyday that I crashed my stupid bike just so I could meet you.”

 

Kagome laughed, tears brimming her eyes. “Kouga…”

 

“Wait, I’m not done” he added. He really didn’t want to stop once he finally worked up the courage to speak. “You’re a beautiful person inside and out, and I think I finally have the answer to your question.”

 

Kagome cocked her head to the side in that adorable way she always does when she doesn’t quite understand something, which wasn’t often, and Kouga waited for her to speak.

 

“What question?”

 

“Remember our first date when you asked me if my views on relationships changed, and I said I’d get back to you on that?”

 

Kagome smiled fully, her cheeks blushing a bit, and nodded, confirming yes, she remembered.

 

“Well, I have your answer.”

 

“And what might that answer be?” she asked.

 

“My views have changed. Not a little, but a lot. I didn’t think I’d want anything serious for a long time, and here I am, seriously in love and saying corny shit because you like it.”

 

Kagome laughed heartily, her eyes still brimming with tears. She wondered how many time she had ‘almost cried’ today.

 

“Matter of fact” Kouga said, stepping back slightly “They’ve changed so much that I don’t even mind saying corny shit, because I love you. I don’t mind listening to your stories about work, no matter how boring they are, because I love you. I don’t mind you tangling yourself in my hair when you sleep at night, no matter how annoying it is, because I love you.”

 

Kouga lowered himself to one knee, and Kagome’s eyes widened and mouth opened in stark surprise. He reached in his left pocket while on his right knee, and pulled out a small box, and Kagome was about ready to die.

 

He looked up at her, smile wide and confident again, his eyes trained on hers, and spoke.

 

“And I don’t mind spending the rest of my life with you, because I love you, Kagome.”

 

‘Almost cried’ turned into ‘waterworks.’ Kagome could no longer hold in the flood of emotion she was experiencing in that moment, and her hands shot up to her face, one to cover her mouth, and the other to wipe tears.

 

“Kouga” she said shakily. “You’re asking me to marry you?”

 

It was as clear as day.

 

“Yes ma’am” he responded, cocky as ever, opening the ring box.

 

“You’re crazy” she laughed out, and he laughed to. Maybe he was crazy, and that was okay, because he loved her, and that was all that mattered, and all that ever would. Kagome let more tears flow, as well as a few sobs, and shook her head.

 

“Yes” she said, smiling. “Yes, Kouga. I’d love to.”

 

And that was that. Kouga slid the ring out of the box and moved to put it on it’s designated place. Kagome looked, trying to notice the detail in the night. Once it was on, she brought it up to her face and studied it, once she finally registered what it was, she spoke.

 

“Oh kami, Kouga, is this…are these…”

 

“Paws. Yes, they are.”

 

Indeed, the gold ring was small, but the front of it was made so that two paws were slightly overlapping each other. It was creative, not too gaudy, and fit perfectly on her slim fingers.

 

“It’s beautiful” Kagome said genuinely.

 

Kouga stood up, and hugged her tightly, not wanting to let her go. “Welcome to the pack” he said. He knew he wouldn’t regret this at all. The two stood that way for a while, arms linked around each other tightly, Kagome’s face buried in his chest, Kouga’s buried in her hair. They swayed slowly to the push and pull of non existing music, enjoying the serenity.

 

“Did she say yes?” they heard a familiar voice shout from a distance. Kouga turned around and yelled back.

 

“Yeah!”

 

Kagome saw her little brother run off, probably to tell everyone, and Kagome looked up at Kouga in confusion.

 

“You told them you were going to propose?” she asked. Kouga smiled down at her impishly, a smile she’d never tire of, and spoke.

 

“I asked Mama and Souta for their blessings.”

 

And that caused Kagome to leap up into his arms and kiss him fervently, forgetting they weren’t exactly alone even though they were alone.

 

888

 

“Oh, yes” she hissed, enjoying every bit of attention her fiancé was giving her.

 

“You like it that much?” he asked breathily, resuming his licks and kisses to her creamy neck. Kagome only whimpered in response, and started unbuttoning his dress shirt with trembling fingers.

 

“I love you” he said, still paying his attention. He felt Kagome trying to work his shirt off, so he pulled back for a moment to help. Soon it and the undershirt was off, and he was back to kissing her neck, this time on the other side.

 

“I love you too, Kouga” Kagome moaned, and dug her nails into his back while he lapped at her ear.

 

It had been a while since they last had sex. Almost a month. Kagome practically lived at Kouga’s now, but their conflicting work schedules and Kagome helping Sango with the wedding really killed the mood. Now that they had time and energy, all the pent of frustration could be released.

 

They were back at Kouga’s, a home that would soon belong to her as well, although he already considered it hers. His place was closer from the area the wedding was held, and the two needed to get back to a private place with a bed as soon as possible. He had her against his bedroom door, trapping her with his strong, tattooed arms.

 

“Turn around” he commanded sexily in her ear, and she happily complied.

 

Kouga’s hands went to the back of her dress to start unzipping, and he sighed when her ass pressed against his crotch. “Eager aren’t we?”

 

His only response was a teasing grind, and he unzipped faster, helping her step out of it. When she turned back around, he almost gasped.

 

“Kagome, is that…”

 

He broke off when he saw her smiling impishly, an eyebrow cocked.

 

“A push up bra?” she finished, grabbing his hands and bringing them around her back to undo it. “Yes, it is.”

 

Kouga laughed, not believing it, and promised to get on her nerves about that later, but for now, he watched those soft mounds expose once he pulled the bra off. He was quickly peppering kisses down her chest, causing Kagome to lean back on the door. He moved lower, so that he was on his knees, kissing her stomach, making her flinch.

 

“Kouga” she breathed, and blue eyes looked up at her in a way that had her more excited than earlier, and warm hands moved up her thighs slowly to remove her underwear. His eyes stayed fixed on hers when he moved them down. Cerulean and brown still met when he pulled her legs up to rest on his shoulders, but brown broke away once she felt a warm, slightly rough tongue lap at her entrance.

 

The room was a mess of breathing, moaning, cursing, and licking noises and Kouga stayed between her legs, enjoying the position. Even on his shoulders, they were still shaking, and he always loved when her hands unconsciously fisted themselves in his hair, digging into his scalp. He liked the teasing pain.

 

Kagome looked down, eyes half lidded, and watched Kouga watching her, and felt her end nearing. Deciding that he wasn’t the only one that could dirty talk, she found a voice and spoke.

 

“You gonna make me come?” she asked innocently, causing Kouga to groan into her. The vibrating feeling turned her on even more, and she started pushing her hips to meet the thrusts of his tongue.

 

Kouga knew it was over when he snaked a hand up to smack her ass, and she gasped, letting herself go.

 

It was only a matter of time before Kagome was on her back on the bed, writing underneath him, as he entered her. Once he was all the way in, he spoke with a tight voice.

 

“I missed this” he said, rounding his hips, earning a pleased moan from Kagome. Both of her legs were in the air, curving with an unconscious arch, toes curled. Her arms were around his neck, and his were locked by her head.

 

It was bliss. Unlike Kagome, Kouga didn’t always have the right words to say. He wasn’t a talker, despite his wit and humor. He liked expressing through action, and considering the position he was in, Kagome liked it too. He wondered if it would ever be enough. Even if he had Kagome like this every day for the rest of his life, he could never get enough of her.

 

When Sango and Miroku’s wedding approached the deadline, Kouga saw how happy and eager Kagome was for her friends. He wondered if her smile would be even brighter if she was the one getting married. He was nervous at the initial thought, but then he thought about a life without her, and it just didn’t seem bearable.

 

“More” she keened, and he complied. He quickly pulled out to turn her over, and Kagome put her ass in the air before he could even ask.

 

“You want it like that?” Kouga asked teasingly. Kagome only wiggled her hips in response, earning a pleased sound from Kouga who was languidly stroking himself to the view. His hips met hers, and soon he was back inside the place that only he would know. He always meant it when he said she was beautiful inside and out.

 

“Yes” she moaned, pushing her hips back to meet his. Both moaned that the familiar and pleasing sound of skin against skin, and went harder.

 

This was one of the many reasons Kagome loved Kouga. Sex wasn’t everything, but his passion and fire took to hers and increased when they made love. His strength, his charm, his humor, his understanding, his body, everything about him suited her.

 

Her sounds of pleasure were louder, not that they minded. Kouga reached an arm down to run through her cascading locks. He pulled slightly, because he knew she liked that, and then let go slowly, running his hand down her back gently while pounding into her quite the opposite.

 

_“Fuck”_ she breathed, and Kouga felt himself closing. He loved when Kagome let her tongue slip with language she hardly used, especially because of him. She was so close to her end, so close to screaming, because she was already yelling. Kouga pulled his body so that her back was flush against his chest, and whispered in her ear.

 

“I love having you like this” he said, to which Kagome moaned. It was all she really could do. Kouga’s hand moved around to her neck to turn her head slightly, so he could kiss her. Their lips met, followed by their eyes. Kagome’s were glazed over, as were his, and they locked each other’s gazes, because that made it all the more intense.

 

“Kouga, please” Kagome begged. “Don’t stop.”

 

He hadn’t planned on it, and soon he found her screaming his name, her hips stilling, and her cavern clenching him in a way he could only describe as wet _bliss_. Once she came down from her high, he pulled his body and hers up along with him, and continued to thrust wildly, his motions faltering the closer he got.

 

Kagome heard the familiar groans in her ear, knowing that he was getting close. She loved hearing him like that, and decided to help him along. Even in the awkward position, she ground her hips, causing him to groan louder than before.

 

_“Kagome”_ he said, his voice on edge. Kagome hummed in response, and moaned when she felt his hips still, his arms trap her body to his, and his pleased hum of completion in her ear.

 

He let her body down slowly, and collapsed on the bed next to her. They were still panting as he spooned her, and Kagome started giggling.

 

“What?” Kouga asked.

 

“Nothing” she wheezed laughing harder. “It’s just…you should have seen your face when you saw my push up bra.”

 

Kouga started laughing too, his voice low. “I cannot believe you did that to me.”

 

Kagome laughed even harder, and buried her face in his chest. When the laughter died down, she snaked her fingers up to trace over the thin scars where the long-since-removed stitches were. Kouga said they were significant, because it reminded him how he met her, and how lucky he was.

 

It was a wonder. A long time ago, she didn’t think she could truly stop feeling anything for Inuyasha after the heartbreak. It was amazing how the right person could come in and sweep her off her feet. It was also amazing how fast everything happened. Getting heartbroken, falling in love, and getting shot were the craziest events that had happened in her lifetime, and all under a year.

 

“What are you thinking?” she heard him ask.

 

“Just how crazy everything is” she answered vaguely, still kind of lost in thought. Although Kouga wasn’t exactly sure what she meant, he still hummed in agreement, because whatever it was, she was probably right.

 

“Hey” she said quietly.

 

“What?” he responded with the same volume.

 

“Since we’re getting married, we’ll have the same initials” she said excitedly, laughing at Kouga’s disinterested roll of the eyes.

 

“Both our text signatures will say K.C.” Kouga went along.

 

“Oh, our wedding programs should have two K.C.’s on the front linking together somehow, and a wolf paw right in the middle.”

 

Kouga laughed, because he knew she was joking. Him, not giving a fuck what something looked like, could even tell that would be tacky.

 

“Anything you want” he added, kissing her temple. “As long as you don’t wear a push up bra on our special day.”

 

They both laughed, and kissed each other lightly, enjoying the company.

 

“This is so crazy” Kagome said, more so to herself. “I’m getting married.”

 

Kouga smiled fully, and spoke. “Well, don’t stress yourself. We have plenty of time.”

 

And they did. They had all the time in the world, but Kagome, being the ‘eager’ one she was, didn’t want to wait too long. She couldn’t wait to charge head first into the next chapter with her new love, to her new life.


End file.
